(540a) Controlled Polyelectroltye Complexes for Ionic and Electronic Mixed Conductors

One of the challenges in the development of materials for electrochemical energy and storage devices is the ability to support the transport of ions while still maintaining high electronic transport.   Mixed electronic and ionic conductors can act as intermediary components between the active electrodes and the separator in batteries and electrochemical capacitors, and as regulatory membranes in solar operated systems such as solar water splitting, as well as in a range of other electrochemical devices, including electrochromic cells and sensors.    Some approaches to mixed conducting systems have involved the use of more traditional neutral ion conducting polymers.   By contrast, we have chosen to introduce highly sulfonated water soluble polymers that exhibit high charge densities, and can complex with and dope conjugated polymers.   Electrostatic complexes formed using these polymers can be formed directed through polymerization of the conducting polymer in the presence of sulfonated polymers, or through the alternating assembly of the film components using layer-by-layer assembly.     The use of these simple water-based methods of assembly and the resulting film characteristics will be discussed.