  Electrolytes as nanostructured materials are very attractive for batteries or
other types of electronic devices. (PEO)8ZnCl2 polymer electrolytes and
nanocomposites (PEO)8ZnCl2/TiO2 were prepared from PEO and ZnCl2 and with
addition of TiO2 nanograins. The influence of TiO2 nanograins was studied by
small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) simultaneously recorded with wide-angle
X-ray scattering (WAXS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at the
synchrotron ELETTRA. It was shown by previous impedance spectroscopy (IS) that
the room temperature conductivity of nanocomposite polymer electrolyte
increased more than two times above 65oC, relative to pure composites of PEO
and salts. The SAXS/DSC measurements yielded insight into the
temperature-dependent changes of the grains of the electrolyte as well as to
differences due to different heating and cooling rates. The crystal structure
and temperatures of melting and crystallization of the nanosize grains was
revealed by the simultaneous WAXS measurements.
