Development and characterization of a new organic/inorganic hybrid ternary protonic conductive material for solid state cells

The advantages of using the ternary system based on the association of phosphotungstic acid (PWA) and orthophosphoric acid (H3PO4) in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) organic matrix as an interesting protonic electrolyte have been investigated in the frame of their applicability in all-solid state primary cell manufacturing. The developed electrolyte materials have been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared Fourier transform spectrometry (FTIR) and electrochemical impedance spectrometry (EIS). High ionic conductivities ranging from 1.0 to 1.8 10− 2 S cm− 1 could be reached at room temperature for relative humidity ranging from 30 to 100% with a ternary PVA–PWA (40 wt.%)–H3PO4 (40 wt.%) complex. As a consequence of their overall good electrochemical but also mechanical properties, such materials have been used successfully as solid state protonic electrolyte in Zn–MnO2 cell prototype development with an energy density up to 120 Wh kg− 1.