Abstract:
Films of chitosan- based polymer electrolyte were prepared by technique of solution
casting. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy show that the complexation
has occurred. FTIR exhibit shifts in amine bands from 1553 cm-1 to a higher
wavenumber due to the increment of glycolic acid salt concentration. The effects of
addition of glycolic acid on the conductivity, O" and transport properties of chitosan
acetate-glycolic acid have been investigated. The highest room temperature
conductivity achieved in the chitosan acetate- glycolic acid is 2.97x 10-8 S cm-1. The
transference number measurement was performed to correlate the diffusion
phenomena to the conductivity behavior of CA-GA polymer electrolyte. The cation
transference numbers, t+, in the electrolytes were determined by monitoring the
current as a function of time on application of a fixed de voltage (1.5 V) across the
sample sandwiched between two stainless steel electrodes. The conductivity, O" was
found to be controlled by the mobility,µ and the diffusion coefficient, D. The value of
µ+ and D+ is higher thanµ_ and D_ which implies that the CA-GA polymer is a proton
conductor.