A cellulose derivative, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), was synthesized by the reaction of cellulose from kenaf bast fiber with monochloroacetic acid. A series of biopolymer electrolytes comprised of the synthesized CMC and ammonium acetate (CH₃COONH₄) were prepared by the solution-casting technique. The biopolymer-based electrolyte films were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy to investigate the formation of the CMC–CH₃COONH₄ complexes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was conducted to obtain their ionic conductivities. The highest conductivity at ambient temperature of 5.77 × 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ was obtained for the electrolyte film containing 20 wt% of CH₃COONH₄. The biopolymer electrolyte film also exhibited electrochemical stability up to 2.5 V. These results indicated that the biopolymer electrolyte has great potential for applications to electrochemical devices, such as proton batteries and solar cells.

Castor oil-based polyurethane as a renewable resource polymer has been synthesized for application as a host in polymer electrolyte for electrochemical devices. The polyurethane was added with LiI and NaI in different wt% to form a film of polymer electrolytes. The films were characterized by using attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, linear sweep voltammetry and transference number measurement. The highest conductivity of 1.42 × 10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹ was achieved with the addition of 30 wt% LiI and 4.28 × 10⁻⁷ S·cm⁻¹ upon addition of 30 wt% NaI at room temperature. The temperature dependence conductivity plot indicated that both systems obeyed Arrhenius law. The activation energy for the PU-LiI and PU-NaI systems were 0.13 and 0.22 eV. Glass transition temperature of the synthesized polyurethane decreased from −15.8 °C to ~ −26 to −28 °C upon salts addition. These characterizations exhibited the castor oil-based polyurethane polymer electrolytes have potential to be used as alternative membrane for electrochemical devices.

This work was undertaken to study the conductivity and dielectric behavior of a biopolymer electrolyte based on carboxymethyl cellulose that was synthesized from kenaf fiber. Biopolymer electrolytes comprised of various weight percentage ratios of the host polymer, ammonium acetate salt, and butyl-trimethyl ammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquid were prepared by the solution casting technique. The conductivity values were determined by impedance spectroscopy. The highest conductivity found was 2.18 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at ambient temperature for the film incorporated with 20 wt.% salt and 20 wt.% ionic liquid. In order to understand the conductivity behavior, a dielectric study was carried out. The results showed that the system obeys the Arrhenius rule and confirmed non-Debye behavior in the sample.

The exploitation of epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) in electrochemical applications is approaching its limits because of its poor thermo-mechanical properties. These properties could be improved by chemical and/or physical modification, including grafting and/or crosslinking techniques. In this work, acrylonitrile (ACN) has been successfully grafted onto ENR- 25 by a radical photopolymerization technique. The effect of (ACN to ENR) mole ratios on chemical structure and interaction, thermo-mechanical behaviour and that related to the viscoelastic properties of the polymer was investigated. The existence of the –C≡N functional group at the end-product of ACN-g-ENR is confirmed by infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. An enhanced grafting efficiency (~57%) was obtained after ACN was grafted onto the isoprene unit of ENR- 25 and showing a significant improvement in thermal stability and dielectric properties. The viscoelastic behaviour of the sample analysis showed an increase of storage modulus up to 150 × 10³ MPa and the temperature of glass transition (T_g) was between −40 and 10 °C. The loss modulus, relaxation process, and tan delta were also described. Overall, the ACN-g-ENR shows a distinctive improvement in characteristics compared to ENR and can be widely used in many applications where natural rubber is used but improved thermal and mechanical properties are required. Likewise, it may also be used in electronic applications, for example, as a polymer electrolyte in batteries or supercapacitor.

Polymer electrolyte films, comprising ammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate salt and butyl-trimethyl ammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquid immobilized in poly (ethyl methacrylate) was studied. Structural, morphological, thermal and electrical properties of the polymer electrolyte films were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and impedance spectroscopy, respectively. Interactions of the salt and ionic liquid with the host polymer were investigated by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. Electrochemical stability of the electrolytes was determined using linear sweep voltammetry and transference numbers corresponding to ionic transport has been evaluated by means of the Wagner polarization technique. The highest conductivity achieved is in the order of 10⁻⁴ S cm⁻¹ for the film added with 35 wt % butyl trimethylammonium bis (trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide. The film has high amorphicity and low glass transition temperature of 2 °C. The film is electrochemically stable up to 1.8 V. The ion transference number in the polymer film is 0.82 and the conductivity behavior obeys Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher equation.