Computer simulation of ionically conducting polymers

Ion transport mechanisms in lamellar phases of salt-doped PS-PEO block copolymer electrolytes

We use a multiscale simulation strategy to elucidate, at an atomistic level, the mechanisms underlying ion transport in the lamellar phase of polystyrene-polyethylene oxide (PS-PEO) block copolymer (BCP) electrolytes doped with LiPF₆ salts. Explicitly, we compare the results obtained for ion transport in the microphase separated block copolymer melts to those for salt-doped PEO homopolymer melts. In addition, we also present results for dynamics of the ions individually in the PEO and PS domains of the BCP melt, and locally as a function of the distance from the lamellar interfaces. When compared to the PEO homopolymer melt, ions were found to exhibit slower dynamics in both the block copolymer (overall) and in the PEO phase of the BCP melt. Such results are shown to arise from the effects of slower polymer segmental dynamics in the BCP melt and the coordination characteristics of the ions. Polymer backbone-ion residence times analyzed as a function of distance from the interface indicate that ions have a larger residence time near the interface compared to that near the bulk of lamella, and demonstrates the influence of the glassy PS blocks and microphase segregation on the ion transport properties. Ion transport mechanisms in BCP melts reveal that there exist five distinct mechanisms for ion transport along the backbone of the chain and exhibit qualitative differences from the behavior in homopolymer melts. We also present results as a function of salt concentration which show that the mean-squared displacements of the ions decrease with increasing salt concentration, and that the ion residence times near the polymer backbone increase with increasing salt concentration.

Computer Simulations of Ion Transport in Polymer Electrolyte Membranes

Understanding the mechanisms and optimizing ion transport in polymer membranes have been the subject of active research for more than three decades. We present an overview of the progress and challenges involved with the modeling and simulation aspects of the ion transport properties of polymer membranes. We are concerned mainly with atomistic and coarser level simulation studies and discuss some salient work in the context of pure binary and single ion conducting polymer electrolytes, polymer nanocomposites, block copolymers, and ionic liquid-based hybrid electrolytes. We conclude with an outlook highlighting future directions.

Can biochemistry usefully guide the search for better polymer electrolytes?

I review some considerations that suggest that the biochemical products of evolution may provide hints concerning the way forward for the development of better electrolytes for lithium polymer batteries.

Water harvesting using a conducting polymer: a study by molecular dynamics simulation

The results of extensive molecular simulations of adsorption and diffusion of water vapor in polyaniline, made conducting by doping it with HCl or HBr over a broad range of temperatures, are reported. The atomistic model of the polymers was generated using energy minimization, equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations, and two different force fields. The computed sorption isotherms are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. The computed activation energies for the diffusion of water molecules in the polymers also compare well with what has been reported in the literature. The results demonstrate the potential of conducting polyaniline for water harvesting from air.

Molecular dynamics simulation of diffusion and sorption of water in conducting polyaniline

Energy minimization and molecular dynamics simulations are used to develop, for the first time, atomistic models of HCl- and HBr-doped conducting polyanilines, in order to study diffusion and adsorption of water vapor in the polymers. Various morphological properties of the polymers are computed, including their pair correlation functions that are found to be in good agreement with the experimental data, and their accessible free volumes. Also computed are the sorption isotherms and effective self-diffusivity of water vapor in the polymers. The computed sorption isotherms are in quantitative agreement with the experimental data, while the diffusivities are within an order of magnitude of the data. The reasons for the differences between the computed and measured diffusivities are discussed.

Mechanisms of lithium transport in amorphous polyethylene oxide

We report calculations using a previously reported model of lithium perchlorate in polyethylene oxide in order to understand the mechanism of lithium transport in these systems. Using an algorithm suggested by Voter, we find results for the diffusion rate which are quite close to experimental values. By analysis of the individual events in which large lithium motions occur during short times, we find that no single type of rearrangement of the lithium environment characterizes these events. We estimate the free energies of the lithium ion as a function of position during these events by calculation of potentials of mean force and thus derive an approximate map of the free energy as a function of lithium position during these events. The results are consistent with a Marcus-like picture in which the system slowly climbs a free energy barrier dominated by rearrangement of the polymer around the lithium ions, after which the lithium moves very quickly to a new position. Reducing the torsion forces in the model causes the diffusion rates to increase.