Preparation and proton conductivity of polymer electrolytes based on alginic acid and 1,2,4-triazole

In this work, novel proton conducting anhydrous polymer electrolytes based on alginic acid (AL) and 1,2,4-Triazole (Tri) were investigated. The biomaterials were prepared by the combination of alginic acid with a heterocyclic protogenic solvent, 1,2,4-triazole at several molar ratios, x to form ALTri_x. The materials can be cast into transparent, homogeneous thin films (50-100 μm). FT-IR spectroscopy suggested the proton exchange reactions between -COOH group of AL and Tri. Thermal properties of the materials were studied via thermogravimetic analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) study reveals the amorphous nature of the ALTri_x electrolytes. Proton conductivity increases with the Tri content and ALTri₁₅ exhibited approximate maximum conductivity of & 0.1 mS/cm at 100°C.