Scientific Achievement
The effect of salt concentration on polymer chain dynamics was quantitatively determined in the range of t= 0.1-100 ns. This study reports the first measurements of tube diameters in block copolymers (with or without salt).
Significance and Impact
This is the first study on the effect of salt concentration on the dynamics of polymer chains. We argue that quantifying chain motion in the presence of ions is essential for predicting the behavior of polymer-electrolyte-based batteries operating at high currents.
Research Details
- Quantified the effect of salt concentration on monomeric friction coefficient in the Rouse regime (t≤10 ns).
- Quantified the effect of salt concentration on the tube diameter in the reptation regime (t≥50 ns).
- Calculated a normalized longest molecular relaxation time to provide insight into the effect of salt concentration on long-time polymer chain motion.
