CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(ETHYLENE OXIDE) WITH COBALTBROMIDE

Polymer electrolyte films consisting of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) wit h various concentrations of CoBr2 are characterized. Relative to the s alt concentration, structural changes in the films are investigated. T he amorphous and crystalline regions of the polymer electrolyte films are studied using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning ca lorimetry and X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The XRD data define c haracteristic structural arrangements for each salt concentration. UV- visible, Raman and infrared spectroscopic data indicate the tetrahedra l configuration of Co2+ ions and the presence of characteristic PEO st ructural chains for the different compositions. The Raman study shows that the distribution of these structural chains changes with salt con centration. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies also re veal the presence of structural configurations in salt concentrated fi lms which are not observed in pure PEO films. Conclusions derived from all the above methods are consistent. Varying CoBr2 concentrations re sult in strong changes in the physical properties of the observed PEO salt system.