Microporous polymeric composite electrolytes from microemulsion polymerization

A new kind of microporous polymeric electrolytes was prepared from microemu lsion polymerization of the system containing acrylonitrile (AN), 4-vinylbe nzenesulfonic acid lithium salt (VBSLi), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EG DMA), omega-methoxy poly(ethyleneoxy)(40) undecyl-alpha-methacrylate (C-1-P EO-C-11-MA-40), and water. The polymerized-microemulsion solids or membrane s have open-cell porous microstructures. The water content in membranes can readily be-exchanged with many organic solvents such as gamma-butyrolacton e (BL), a mixture of ethylene carbonate(EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC) or propylene carbonate (PC) and EC. The membranes can also be filled with ele ctrolyte solutions such as 1M LiBF4/BL, 1M LiSO3CF3/PC-EC, or 1M LiClO4/EC- DMC to form polymeric composite electrolytes. Such composite electrolytes, exhibiting ionic conductivities in the area of 10(-3) S cm(-1) (25 degrees C), may be used in many electrochemical devices.