Structural, Thermal, Electrical and Electrochemical Studies of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Assisted BiFeO₃ Embedded Novel Gel-Based Nanocomposite Utilizations in Polymer Electrolytes

The present work reports the development of nanosized multiferroic filler BiFeO₃ impregnated PVA based nanocomposite gel polymer electrolyte (NCGPEs) through conventional solution cast technique. The gel films have been characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) to ascertain their performance in electrochemical devices. FTIR studies confirmed complexation of salt with polymer matrix and change in morphology upon addition of BiFeO₃ fillers. Enhancement in glass transition temperature with increasing filler content was observed in DSC studies. Filler inclusion increased thermal stability of the system according to TGA results. High value of ionic transference number (0.99) reveals ionic conduction. The NCGPEs sample [PVA ₍₃₅₎: NH₄CH₃ COO₍₆₅₎]:0.5wt%BiFeO₃ exhibited highest ionic conductivity (1.05X10⁻³Scm⁻¹). Charge carrier concentration seems to be responsible for high ionic conduction. CV&LSV measurement indicate the applicability of electrolyte in energy storage applications.