Copper transport properties in polymer electrolytes based on poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(acrylonitrile)

Transport properties of copper salts were studied in a solvent-free polymer electrolyte PEO–Cu(CF3SO3)2 (where PEO is poly(ethylene oxide)) as well as in gel-type polymer electrolytes: polymer–solvent–CuX2 (where X=Cl−, Br− or CF3SO3−, polymer is PEO or poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN), solvent is dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), sulfolane or propylene carbonate). Generally, low values of the cationic transference numbers (T+≈0.02–0.08) for the polymer electrolytes were obtained. However, in the systems based on PAN plasticised with DMSO, the T+ value increases significantly (T+≈0.1–0.4); the highest value is reached in the system containing an excess of the Br− anions (PAN–DMSO–CuX2–KBr, T+=0.4).