ABSTRACTResults of a quasi-elastic incoherent neutron scattering study of the influence of confinement on polyethylene oxide (PEO) and (PEO)8Li+[(CF3SO2)2N]- (or (POE)8LiTFSI) dynamics are presented. The confining media is Vycor, a silica based hydrophilic porous glass. We observe a strong slowing down of the bulk polymer dynamics under presence of Li salt. The confinement also affects dramatically the apparent mean-square displacement of the polymer. As supported by DSC measurements, the PEO melting transition at 335 K is strongly attenuated under confinement, suggesting that confinement modifies the global structure of the system, increasing the fraction of amorphous PEO by respect to crystalline phase. Local relaxational PEO dynamics is successfully described by the DLM (Dejean-Laupretre-Monnerie) model usually used to interpret NMR spin-lattice relaxation time data. The scattering vector dependence of the correlation times deduced from inelastic neutron scattering data is found to obey a power-law dependence. DSC and preliminary ionic conduction measurements are also presented.
Model-independent analysis of inelastic-neutron-scattering data at high momentum transfer
