Proton conducting polymeric gels as the electrolytes of electrochemical capacitors have been prepared by two different methods: 1) swelling a polymethacrylate-based polymer matrix in aqueous solutions of inorganic and organic acids, and 2) polymerizin...
Proton conducting polymeric gels as the electrolytes of electrochemical capacitors have been prepared by two different methods: 1) swelling a polymethacrylate-based polymer matrix in aqueous solutions of inorganic and organic acids, and 2) polymerizing complexes of anhydrous acids and prepolymers with organic plasticizer. The FT-IR spectra strongly suggest that the carbonyl groups in the polymer matrix interact with protons from the doped acids. High ionic (proton) conductivity in the range of $6\times10^{-4}-4\times10^{-2}\;S\;cm^{-1}$ was obtained at room temperature for the aqueous gels. The non-aqueous polymer complexes showed rather low ionic conductivity, but it was about $10^{-3}\;S\;cm^{-1}\;at\;70^{\circ}C$ for the $H_3PO_4$ doped polymer electrolyte. The mechanisms of ion (proton) conduction in the polymeric systems are discussed.