Dielectric relaxation processes and ionic conduction behaviour in poly(ethylene oxide)–montmorillonite clay nanocomposite aqueous colloidal suspensions

Preparation and Composition Optimization of PEO:MC Polymer Blend Films to Enhance Electrical Conductivity

The polymer blend technique was used to improve amorphous phases of a semicrystalline polymer. A series of solid polymer blend films based on polyethylene oxide (PEO) and methylcellulose (MC) were prepared using the solution cast technique. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Polarized optical microscope (POM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to characterize the prepared blend films. The XRD and POM studies indicated that all polymer blend films are semicrystalline in nature, and the lowest degree of crystallinity was obtained for PEO:MC polymer blend film with a weight ratio of 60:40. The FTIR spectroscopy was used to identify the chemical structure of samples and examine the interactions between chains of the two polymers. The interaction between PEO and MC is evidenced from the shift of infrared absorption bands. The DC conductivity of the films at different temperatures revealed that the highest conductivity 6.55 × 10^-9 S/cm at ambient temperature was achieved for the blend sample with the lowest degree of crystallinity and reach to 26.67 × 10^-6 S/cm at 373 K. The conductivity relaxation process and the charge transport through the hopping mechanism have been explained by electric modulus analysis. The imaginary part of electrical modulus M″ shows an asymmetrical peak, suggesting a temperature-dependent non-Debye relaxation for the PEO:MC polymer blend system.

Microwave dielectric spectra and molecular relaxation in formamide-N,N-dimethylformamide binary mixtures

The dielectric dispersion and absorption spectra of formamide (FA), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and their binary mixtures are investigated in the frequency range of 500 MHz to 20 GHz at 30°C in view of the organic synthesis by microwaves heating using amides solvents. The concentration dependent values of molecular reorientation relaxation times lower than that of the ideal mixing behaviour have been attributed to the cooperative dynamics of H-bonded FA-DMF structures. The molar ratio of stable adduct is 2:1 of FA to the DMF, which is determined from the concentration dependent excess static dielectric constant and the relaxation time plots of these binary mixtures. Electrode polarization effect and ionic conduction in FA and DMF were investigated from their dielectric dispersion spectra in the low frequency region of 20 Hz to 1 MHz.

Confined polymer dynamics on clay platelets

The structure and dynamics of poly(ethylene oxide) adsorbed on dispersed clay platelets are investigated by small-angle neutron scattering and neutron spin-echo spectroscopy. The intermediate scattering function has a mobile contribution described by the Zimm theory and an immobile contribution that is constant within the time window. The immobile fraction as a function of the scattering vector Q is described by a Lorentz function, from which a localization length is determined. The relaxation rates grow with polymer concentration in agreement with dielectric measurements but contrary to pure polymer gels.