Studies on structural, electrical and electrochemical properties of biodegradable PVP/starch blend polymer electrolytes with ammonium ceric nitrate for energy storage devices

As a new approach, biodegradable solid polymer blend polymer electrolytes are prepared using a synthetic polymer Poly [vinyl pyrrolidone] (PVP) and a biopolymer Starch with constant amount of Ammonium ceric nitrate. The Biopolymer starch is used to enhance the biodegradability of the polymer membranes. The polymer electrolytes are prepared by solution casting method using deionized water as solvent. The prepared electrolytes are analyzed with structural, vibrational, electrical and electrochemical behavior by using different characterization techniques. The amorphous nature of the blend polymer electrolytes has been confirmed by X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. PVP/cassava starch/ammonium ceric nitrate polymer electrolyte shows high amorphous nature. In FTIR study, polymers-salt complexation and molecular vibrations are observed in the electrolytes. The ionic conductivity and dielectric measurement of the electrolytes are carried out by impedance spectroscopy. The maximum ionic conductivity of 8.1 × 10 −6 S/cm is observed at room temperature for 80% PVP: 20% cassava starch: 2% ammonium ceric nitrate (ACN) system. The dielectric properties of the prepared polymer electrolytes are also analyzed. The electrolyte having higher ionic conductivity is tested with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) studies that reveal the electrochemical properties and range of potential window of the polymer electrolyte.