Abstract
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High-performance gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) are essential for the development of next-generation batteries and supercapacitors. The research work reports a highly conductive poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based nanocomposite gel polymer electrolyte (NCGPE) incorporating multiferroic BiFeO₃ nanoparticles as a functional nanofiller. The NCGPE films were fabricated by a facile solution-casting technique, and their structural, thermal, and electrochemical properties were systematically evaluated. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated that BiFeO₃ incorporation enhances the amorphous character of the PVA-based electrolyte, facilitating ion transport, while Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed strong interactions among the polymer chains, salt, and nanofiller. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis further confirmed enhanced thermal characteristics, evidenced by an increased glass-transition temperature and improved thermal stability with increasing BiFeO₃ content. Remarkably, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed a maximum ionic conductivity of 4.08 × 10⁻³ S cm⁻¹ at ambient temperature for the electrolyte containing only 0.5 wt% BiFeO₃. The temperature-dependent conductivity follows both Arrhenius and Vogel–Tammann–Fulcher models, indicating thermally activated ion migration coupled with polymer-segmental motion. In addition, the optimized NCGPE exhibits a wide electrochemical stability window of −2.54 to +2.89V and an exceptionally high ionic transference number (tᵢ ≈ 0.99), confirming predominantly ionic charge transport. The synergistic effects of increased amorphicity, polymer–salt–filler interactions, and enhanced segmental dynamics contribute to the superior ionic conductivity. These findings highlight BiFeO₃ as an effective functional nanofiller for engineering high-performance PVA-based gel polymer electrolytes for advanced energy-storage applications.
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