(595i) Self-Assembly and Ion Transport of Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Diblock Copolymers with Salt

We examine the phase behavior of a hybrid organic-inorganic diblock copolymer/salt mixtures. The experimental system comprises poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (PEO-POSS) mixed with a lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) salt. While the diblock copolymers without salt exhibit classical order-to-disorder transition behavior with increasing temperature, the PEO-POSS/salt mixtures exhibit disorder-to-order transitions with increasing temperature. We posit that thermodynamic POSS and salt ions are responsible for this unusual behavior. The relationship between the self-assembled morphology and ion transport will be discussed. In particular, these electrolytes exhibit a relatively high limiting current.