Electrical conduction mechanism in NaCl complexed PEO/PVP polymer blend electrolytes

Sodium ion‐conducting polymer blend electrolytes were prepared by dissolving NaCl salt in a polyethylene oxide–polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PEO–PVP) blend using solution cast technique. XRD and FTIR studies confirmed the complexation of the salt with polymer host which leads the reduction of its crystalline nature. FTIR spectra indicate the miscibility between PEO and PVP. Electrical conduction mechanism in the blend polymer complexes has been revealed by employing the complex impedance spectroscopy in the frequency range 1 Hz–1 MHz within the temperature range 303 K–343 K. The total conductivity, dielectric constant and electric modulus of the blend electrolytes are analyzed in order to explore the long range and short‐range dynamics of ions. Ionic conductivity increased with the increase of salt concentration as well as temperature. The dielectric constant showed large value at lower frequencies and increased with temperature indicating polar nature of PEO and PVP of the blend. The electric modulus formalism reveals the non‐Debye nature of the samples. The activation energies responsible for relaxation process measured from modulus spectra are found to be in good agreement with those obtained from dc conductivity studies.