International Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

International Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Enhancing the Ionic Conductivity of Corn Starch-based Solid Polymer Electrolytes Utilizing Inorganic Filler

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Reffy Aldo Amanta 1
Sylvia Ayu Pradanawati 2
Yatim Lailun Ni'mah 3
Azzah Dyah Pramata 4
Lukman Noerochim 4
Nur Laila Hamidah 1
1 Department of Engineering Physics, Faculty of Industrial Technology and Systems Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia
2 Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Pertamina, Jakarta, Indonesia
3 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Data Analytics, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia
4 Material and Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology and Systems Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Surabaya, Indonesia
10.22034/ijnn.2026.2043238.2581
Abstract
For safety reasons, solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) has been developed as an alternative to liquid electrolyte. Nevertheless, the research advancement of all-solid-state energy storage is impeded by the io transport between solid-solid interfaces. The integration of fillers into the polymer matrices is illustrated as a prevalent approach to improve ion transport. The objective of this study is to enhance the ionic conductivity of corn starch-based SPE by incorporating zinc oxide (ZnO), vanadium oxide (V2O5), and cerium oxide (CeO2) as inorganic fillers through the solution casting method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that the incorporation of 20 wt.% ZNO resulted in the highest amorphous state of 93%, hence enhancing the ionic conductivity due to increased pathways for ion transfer. This finding was further supported by the analysis of the glass-transition temperature (Tg), recorded at 25.6°C via digital scanning calorimetry (DSC), hence reinforcing the data related to the amorphous state. The shift of the CH2OH group from 1330 to 1321 cm-1 in Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicates the presence of filler in the polymer structure. Moreover, the increased amorphous structure leads to the formation of pores, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which enhances the ionic conductivity of the solid polymer electrolyte (SPE). The ionic conductivity of SPE containing 20 wt% ZNO at ambient temperature is 3.021 x 10-3 S/cm, as measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). This result is comparable to the ionic conductivity of liquid electrolyte (10-4 – 10-2 S/cm), indicating possible applicability as a solid electrolyte.
Keywords
Amorphous State
Corn Starch
Inorganic Filler
Ionic Conductivity
Solid Polymer Electrolyte
Subjects
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International Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Volume 21, Issue 2
Spring 2025
Pages 67-75