International Journal of Materials Science and Applications 2014; 3(4): 129-136 Published online August 20, 2014 (http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ijmsa) doi: 10.11648/j.ijmsa.20140304.12 ISSN: 2327-2635 (Print); ISSN: 2327-2643 (Online) Preliminary study on blend based mixed ion- electron conductor- (PVA: PVK): CH 3 COONH 4 : EC system Shanker Lal Agrawal 1 , Rajendra Prasad Kumhar 2 1 SSI Laboratory Department of Physics, A P S University, Rewa India 2 Department of Physics, Govt. Maharaja College, Chhatarpur India Email address: sla_ssi1956@rediffmail.com (S. L. Agrawal), rpk1972ssi@gmail.com (R. P. Kumhar) To cite this article: Shanker Lal Agrawal, Rajendra Prasad Kumhar. Preliminary Study on Blend Based Mixed Ion- Electron Conductor- (PVA: PVK): CH 3 COONH 4 : EC System. International Journal of Materials Science and Applications. Vol. 3, No. 4, 2014, pp. 129-136. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmsa.20140304.12 Abstract: An attempt has been made in the present work to develop blend based mixed ion-electron conductor viz. PVA: PVK: CH 3 COONH 4 : EC system. Formation of polymer blend and composite has been evidenced during XRD and IR studies. Ionic conductivity of this system is seen to improve by an order of magnitude at room temperature with optimum at 1.27×10 -3 S/cm for 0.4 mole ammonium acetate concentration. Ionic charge transport seems to dominate as reflected from I-t measurements. Temperature dependent conductivity shows that ionic conduction is controlled by combination of Arrhenius and VTF behavior. AC conductivity behavior is seen to be dictated by Jonscher Power law. Keywords: PVA: PVK Blend, CH 3 COONH 4 , PVK Based Electrolyte, Ion- Electron Conductor, Polymer Composite Electrolyte 1. Introduction In all the emerging technologies like computers, communication devices, industrial controls, electric vehicles, laboratory equipments, medical appliances etc. there is an exclusive demand for long life, environmentally friendly, low cost, reliable rechargeable batteries with high specific energy power [1-3]. Within this frame-work, electrode materials - a key component of all electrochemical devices have been widely investigated for application in batteries. In electrochemistry, an electrode is an electronic conductor in contact with ionic conductor through which charge transfer reactions take place. This electronic conductor can be a metal, or a semiconductor, or a mixed ionic-electronic conductor. Metal electrodes usually suffer from several serious drawbacks, like high reactivity with electrolyte, long life, non- safety in ambient environment etc. Nevertheless, these shortcomings have been greatly reduced in recent years through the use of intercalating layered materials as electrodes. Few widely used electrode materials reported in literature are LiCoO 2 , LiCo x Ni 1-x O 2 , LiMn 2 O 4 , V 2 O 5 , V 3 O 8 , LiFePO 4 as cathode and LiC 6 , Li 3-x Co x N, KC 8 , SnO 2 , Li 3 Sb as anode [4]. Beside these intercalating materials, mixed conducting materials have shown promise because of their mixed conduction mechanism and their possible application in electrochemical devices, such as assisted interfacial ion transport between electrolyte and electrodes [2]. In the category of mixed conductors, polymer membrane possessing such properties has shown promise [5, 6]. Mixed ionic-electronic conducting polymeric materials can be prepared by incorporating mobile ion and an electronic donor/ acceptor species in a polymer host. In recent years, researchers have reported mixed conducting materials such as poly (methoxyethoxy ethoxyphosphazene) - NaI n and PEO-NaI 3 [5, 7], blends of polypyrrole and PEO [6, 8], PEO-NaSCN-polythiocyanogen (SCN) x blend [9]. Electrical conductivity was reported earlier to be essentially ionic in the amorphous polyiodide system and electronic in the crystalline complex. Recently, Polyvinyl Carbazole (PVK) – a carbazole derivative of poly vinyl chloride (PVC) (carbazole group has substituted chlorine atom) has also been looked upon as a probable candidate for development of electrodes and stiffener in polymer electrolytes [10]. Introduction of PVK in polymer electrolyte is expected to improve the electrical conductivity of the system besides improving mechanical strength of electrolyte and the interfacial properties between the electrode & electrolyte [11]. With these facts in mind, an attempt has been made in the present work to prepare a mixed