The objective of this research is to describe the effect of ions on the segmental and local motions of polymers in the presence and absence of low-molecular-weight solvent molecules. The polymers and salts of interest are those that exhibit high ionic conduction such as poly(ethylene oxide) and lithium perchlorate. Multifield, multinuclear, and variable temperature nuclear spin lattice relaxation experiments will be performed on different polymer/salt systems. The resulting T1 data will be analyzed using dynamic models for the segmental and local motions of the polymer. The relationship between polymer motion and ionic conduction will be investigated by this technique. Segmental motion of the polymer contributes to high ionic conduction in polymer/salt systems according to dynamic bond percolation theory;. The interaction between certain polymers and salts is an example of the importance of site-specific interactions in determining the properties of polymer-based materials. This study investigates site-specific interactions by a dynamic rather than static approach to reveal the impact of these interactions. Ultimately, the results of this research will provide the basis for a comprehensive analysis of the present state of theory and encourage further theoretical development.
