Hybrid Inorganic-organic Ion Conducting Polymer Electrolytes: Synthesis, Structure and Conductivity Mechanism

Polymer Electrolytes are competing for a place in the future energy generation, Storage and distribution markets and they are promising for the development of new devices like sensors and actuators. In this context Mie report an overview on the synthesis, Structure, physical and electrical properties of three classes of new electroactive inorganic-organic hybrid materials. Theflrst class is due to the ORMOCERS-APE (Organically Modified Ceramics As Polymer Electrolytes or ORMOCERS-APE). These materials are three-dimensional networks composed by organic macromolecules linked together by inorganic atoms like Si, Ti, Zr, Al. Inorganic salts can be dissolved in these materials to determine a tailored conductivity. Taking into account, the recent increased interest in the development of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs), we include in the present overview the description of two groups of membranes. In the first group we present membranes based on Nafion and inorganic nano-powders. These materials can be considered as subgroup of the more general class of the (nano) composite polymer electrolytes. In the second group we describe siloxanic proton-conducting membranes that can be considered as an upgrade version of the ORMOCERS-APE. The second class is that of the Z-lOPEs (Zeolitic Inorganic-Organic Polymer Electrolytes). These materials are three-dimensional networks composed by organic macromolecules linked together by bridging inorganic clusters. The inorganic clusters are formed by the aggregation of two or more inorganic coordination complexes and are positively or negatively charged. The third class of materials is that of the HGEs (Hybrid inorganic-organic GEls). These materials can be considered as an upgrade version ofZ-lOPEs in which the organic component instead of being due to macromolecules is based on organic multi-functional molecules.