Dynamics of Proton Transport in Polyethylene Oxide (PEO) with Ammonium Perchlorate (NH4ClO4)

NH4ClO4 has a very high ionic conductivity similar to 10-5 Scm(-1) in which probable charge carrying mobile species is H+ ion apart from the anion ClO4-. The H+ can be derived either from the -CH2-CH2- of the polymer PEO chain or from the NH4+ of the complexing salt. In order to identify the mobile H+ species and to investigate its dynamics, a wide-line nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study has been carried as a function of temperature. The two types of H+ species, as stated above, have been found to show different temperature dependence of the respective NMR-linewidths. It has been established that only one of these H+ species (i.e., belonging to NH4+ cation) contributes predominantly to the room temperature conductivity.

Automated summary

NH4ClO4 exhibits high ionic conductivity of approximately 10-5 Scm(-1) with H+ ions as the probable charge carrying mobile species along with the anion ClO4-. The H+ ions can originate from either the -CH2-CH2- of the PEO polymer chain or the NH4+ of the complexing salt. A wide-line NMR study was conducted to identify the mobile H+ species and investigate its dynamics at different temperatures. It was found that the two types of H+ species exhibit different temperature dependence of NMR linewidths, and the H+ species belonging to NH4+ cation predominantly contributes to the room temperature conductivity.