Preparation of proton-conducting hybrid materials by reacting zinc phosphate glass with benzimidazole

An intermediate temperature proton-conducting amorphous material was prepared utilizing the reaction of zinc metaphosphate glass powders with benzimidazole. The anhydrous material, consisting of Zn-coordinated benzimidazole and benzimidazole/phosphoric acid composite groups with benzimidazole. showed almost no decrease in weight even after heating at 250 degrees C. It showed electrical conductivities of 10-100 mu S cm(-1) at the intermediate temperatures of 170-230 degrees C: the activation energy for electrical conduction (similar to 1.0 eV) was larger than that for proton transport between benzimidazole molecules. This hybridization is one of the important approaches for preparing new intermediate-temperature proton conducting materials. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.