Frequency-dependent conductivity and conduction relaxation in nanocomposite solid polymer electrolyte films consisting of poly(ethylene oxide) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone blend as host matrix, NaIO4 as ions dopant, and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles of average size 10 nm, were studied. The films were characterized using measurements of complex electrical impedance spectra in the frequency range from 1 Hz to 1 MHz, at room temperature. The concentration of the salt NaIO4 was 10 wt%, the TiO2 percentage varied from 1 wt% to 5 wt%. The frequency spectra of both alternating-current (AC) conductivity and electric modulus were analyzed in order to elucidate the effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on the electrical transport properties of the examined electrolyte thin films with a thickness of 150 μm.

Complex electrical impedance and dielectric spectroscopy were applied to study the dielectric relaxations and their thermal behavior in ion-conducting composites/complexes from polymer poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and E8 nematic liquid crystals (LCs), at the compositional ratio PEO:E8 = 70:30 wt%. Flexible thin films of PEO/E8 with a thickness of 150 μm were inspected, as well as such films from Na⁺ ion-conducting electrolyte PEO/E8/NaIO₄ with the same PEO:E8 compositional ratio, but additionally containing 10 wt.% from the salt sodium metaperiodate (NaIO₄) as a dopant of Na⁺ ions. The molecular dynamics, namely the dielectric relaxation of PEO/E8 and PEO/E8/NaIO₄, were characterized through analyses of complex impedance and dielectric spectra measured in the frequency range of 1 Hz–1 MHz, under variation of temperature from below to above the glass-transition temperature of these composites. The relaxation and polarization of dipole formations in PEO/E8 and PEO/E8/NaIO₄ were evidenced and compared in terms of both electrical impedance and dielectric response depending on temperature. The results obtained for molecular organization, molecular relaxation dynamics, and electric polarization in the studied ion-conducting polymer/LC composites/complexes can be helpful in the optimization of their structure and performance, and are attractive for applications in flexible organic electronics, energy storage devices, and mechatronics.

The electrical conductivity of thin films (150 μm) of composites produced from polymer poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and nematic liquid crystals E8 (in compositional ratio PEO:E8 = 70:30 wt%) was studied by means of complex electrical impedance spectroscopy in the range from 1 Hz to 1 MHz. Both ion conductivity and alternating-current conductivity of PEO/E8 films were determined as depending on temperature in the room-temperature region 25–50◦C. The results show that the ion-conductive PEO/E8 composite is a promising material for electronic applications.

The multifunctional bismuth-containing cuprate ceramic—Bi_1.7Pb_0.3Sr₂CaCu₂O_x (B(Pb)SCCO 2212)—has been employed as a functional additive at 5 wt.% for the zinc electrode in alkaline Ni-Zn batteries in order to improve electrochemical performance and cycling stability. Our study focuses on the electrochemical role of this additive in a 7 M KOH electrolyte, simulating the battery environment. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and Chronopotentiometry (CP) were used to investigate the electrochemical processes occurring during electrode operation. The obtained results reveal that an additional cathodic response associated with the B(Pb)SCCO 2212-containing electrode occurs at potentials preceding the main ZnO/Zn reduction process. The CV curves have shown broad cathodic a broad cathodic response consistent with the electrochemical reduction of Bi- and Cu-containing species originating from the ceramic additive. Since these processes occur before the main ZnO/Zn reduction, the formation of reduced Bi/Cu-containing phases may contribute to charge transport within the active mass and to the reduced polarization observed for the modified electrode. These findings provide a possible electrochemical explanation for the improved behavior of zinc electrodes containing 5 wt.% B(Pb)SCCO 2212.