In order to improve the ions transfer properties of gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs)

three star-shaped hybrid polymers with different polymerization degrees of arms:POSS-(PMMA3)8

POSS-(PMMA6)8

POSS-(PMMA9)8

containing a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) as a core with octa-poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) chains as arms

were used as modifier and blended with PMMA to prepare the composite GPEs in the paper

respectively.The influence of arms structure of star-shaped polymers on the electrochemical performance of GPEs was investigated.The results showed that all composites GPEs containing POSS star-shaped polymers gave access to higher ionic conductivity than that of pure PMMA-based GPE.Star-shaped polymer with the shortest PMMA arms

POSS-(PMMA3)8 modified GPE possessed the highest ionic conductivity

which was 3.5 times higher than that of pure PMMA-based GPE in the room temperature.In addition

the contents of POSS star-shaped polymers and lithium salt also had effect on the performance of composite GPEs.It was found that when the concentration of lithium salt in the gel system was 0.6 mol/L

and the content of star-shaped polymers in the polymer matrix was 15 wt%

the ionic conductivity would reach the highest value

2.7310-4 S/cm.Moreover the effect of temperature on the ion transfer performance of composite GPEs was investigated

and the rule of ion transfer along with temperature was accorded with the Arrhenius equation.Based on the results mentioned above

the ion conductive microstructure model of the composite GPEs was constructed.