Crystals of a new compound with a superprotonic phase transition Rb2(HSeO4)1.5(H2AsO4)0.5 (noted RbHSeAs), were synthesized by slow evaporation of an aqueous solution at room temperature. The differential scanning calorimetric analyses showed two endothermic peaks at 465 K and 566 K. The last peak corresponds to the decomposition of the material. The first transition was characterized by several techniques (impedance spectroscopy, complex modulus, Raman and X-ray diffraction powder depending on temperature). ac impedance measurements revealed that, upon heating, the compound undergoes at ~ 443 K a sharp increase in conductivity from a low temperature protonic phase to a superprotonic conductivity phase. The activation energies calculated from the modulus (Ef) and impedance (E) spectra respectively are approximately equal, suggesting that the transport properties in this material above and below the superprotonic phase transition (443 K) are probably due to an H+ protons hopping mechanism.
Structure of Cs3(HSO4)2(H2PO4) – a new compound with a superprotonic phase transition
