Improving Ion Transport in Biodegradable Polymer Electrolytes Through Additives: A Review

ABSTRACT

Polymer‐based electrolytes have garnered significant recognition in the field of energy studies for future‐generation electrochemical device development primarily due to their potential to improve safety, performance, flexibility, and accessibility. Synthetic and non‐degradable polymers are indeed frequently used as host materials in polymer electrolytes for the development of desired high ionic‐conducting polymer electrolytes. In solid polymer electrolytes development, polyethyleneoxide (PEO) is used as one of the key studied host synthetic polymer matrix due to dissolvability of different salts and ionic conductivity values within 10 ⁻⁷ –10 ⁻⁴ Scm ⁻¹ . With growing environmental concerns, the demand for biodegradable polymers that degrade naturally without contributing to pollution has significantly increased. This review focuses on biocompatible blended polymer electrolytes that incorporate ionic salts, plasticizers, and nano‐fillers to enhance performance characteristics of the plasticized nanocomposite polymer electrolytes. Blending polymers can improve ionic conductivity and can customize the physicochemical properties of the newly developed materials. The combined use of both plasticizers and nano‐fillers exhibits a synergistic effect, improving both ionic conductivity and mechanical strength. This review highlights the crucial role of such additives in developing high‐performance biodegradable polymer electrolytes, broadening their applicability across various technological sectors, including energy storage and biomedical devices. This review also significantly contributes to the development of advanced polymer electrolyte systems, facilitating the replacement of synthetic polymer electrolytes with biodegradable counterparts for sustainable future applications.