Size-dependent ionic mobility enhancement in graphene-oxide-doped PVA gel polymer electrolytes: a generalized transport model
摘要
Gel polymer electrolytes containing small-area (SAGO) and large-area graphene oxide (LAGO) are modeled using a connectivity-driven framework to elucidate the influence of filler geometry on ion transport. While ionic conductivity of these systems has been reported previously, this work focuses on decoupling the effects of GO lateral size and filler loading on conductivity enhancement. The characteristic concentration (ϕc = t/L), where t is the GO sheet thickness and L is its lateral size, derived from GO sheet dimensions, defines the onset of connectivity, and normalized conductivity is analyzed as a function of reduced loading (ϕGO/ϕc). Model fitting reveals distinct scaling parameters for the two systems: SAGO shows a higher connectivity exponent (n = 0.34 ± 0.02) and moderate enhancement efficiency (B = 0.21 ± 0.02), indicating effective spatial coupling of hydrated ionic regions, whereas LAGO exhibits a lower exponent (n = 0.17 ± 0.16) and less uniform efficiency (B = 0.29 ± 0.14), reflecting weaker connectivity enhancement. These results highlight that GO lateral size controls the geometric onset of conductivity enhancement, while system-specific connectivity parameters capture distinct transport behavior. The model provides a predictive framework for designing gel polymer electrolytes with tailored ion-transport properties.