Polymer electrolytes were investigated for potential use in multifunctional structural batteries requiring
both mechanical and electrochemical properties. Electrolytes were formulated with a broad range of
multifunctional behaviors, spanning continuously from highly conductive and structurally weak materials
to poorly conductive and highly structural materials. Solvent-free polymer scaffolds were synthesized
from monomers containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) oligomers and one to four vinyl ester groups.
The electrolytes were formed by dissolving lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate in the monomers prior to
thermal cure. Electrochemical, mechanical, and viscoelastic properties were studied with respect to salt
concentration, polymer chemistry, and polymer architecture. The addition of salt was found to have minimal
impact on compressive stiffness, whereas it increased T
g and significantly influenced ion conductivity,
with a maximum conductivity at 9−12% salt w/w PEG. At a constant salt concentration, the homopolymer
electrolytes exhibited close to a 1:1 inverse correlation between conductivity and stiffness as monomer
composition was changed.