Alberto Gandini

Solid polymeric electrolyte including a cross-linked polyether encompassing an ion compound and a liquid plasticizer

A solid polymeric electrolytic membrane comprising a solution of an ion compound in a cross-linked polyether including a liquid plasticizer obtained by: a) copolymerizing a vinyl ether of the formula: R--(O--CH2 --CH2 --)n --O--CH=CH2 (I) with an allyl vinyl ether of the formula: CH2 =CH--CH2 --(O--CH2 --CH2 --)m --O--CH=CH2 (II) where R is a methyl or ethyl radical, n is an integer ranging from 1 to 16, m is an integer ranging from 1 to 10 and the molar ratio of (I) to (II) is between 70/30 and 95/5, forming an allyl copolymer; b) hydrosilating the allyl double bonds of the allyl copolymer by reaction with trimethoxy or triethoxy silane to form a hydrosilated copolymer; c) cross-linking the hydrosilated copolymer by means of a diprotic cross-linking agent in a plasticizer solution of an oligomer or a dipolar aprotic solvent present in a quantity of 20 to 80% by weight and in the presence of an ion compound, and evaporating the low-boiling compounds formed in step c) to obtain a membrane capable of retaining the liquid plasticizer.

Synthesis and characterization of α-methylstyrene-butadiene-α-methylstyrene linear block copolymers

Summaryα-methylstyrene-butadiene- α-methylstyrene linear block copolymers with a ‘pure’ block structure were prepared by sec-butyllithium and coupling agent in a four-step process. Their morphology is built up of microdomains of poly- α -methylstyrene, including the unbonded segments, dispersed in a polybutadiene matrix. Cylindrical domains arranged in a hexagonal lattice or irregularly shaped domains in a disordered phase are observed, depending on the molecular weight of the poly- α -methylstyrene segment.