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Three-dimensional protonic conductivity in porous organic cage solids

Ming Liu, Linjiang Chen, Scott Lewis, Samantha Y. Chong, Marc A. Little, Tom Hasell, Iain Aldous, Craig M. Brown, Martin W. Smith, Carole A. Morrison, Laurence J. Hardwick, Andrew I. Cooper

Nature Communications, Volume: 7, Issue: 1

Swansea University Author: Iain Aldous

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DOI (Published version): 10.1038/ncomms12750

Abstract

Proton conduction is a fundamental process in biology and in devices such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells. To maximize proton conduction, three-dimensional conduction pathways are preferred over one-dimensional pathways, which prevent conduction in two dimensions. Many crystalline porous soli...

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Published in: Nature Communications
ISSN: 2041-1723
Published: Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2016
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa51334
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Abstract: Proton conduction is a fundamental process in biology and in devices such as proton exchange membrane fuel cells. To maximize proton conduction, three-dimensional conduction pathways are preferred over one-dimensional pathways, which prevent conduction in two dimensions. Many crystalline porous solids to date show one-dimensional proton conduction. Here we report porous molecular cages with proton conductivities (up to 10−3 S cm−1 at high relative humidity) that compete with extended metal-organic frameworks. The structure of the organic cage imposes a conduction pathway that is necessarily three-dimensional. The cage molecules also promote proton transfer by confining the water molecules while being sufficiently flexible to allow hydrogen bond reorganization. The proton conduction is explained at the molecular level through a combination of proton conductivity measurements, crystallography, molecular simulations and quasi-elastic neutron scattering. These results provide a starting point for high-temperature, anhydrous proton conductors through inclusion of guests other than water in the cage pores.
Keywords: Organic molecules in materials science, Porous materials, Theory computation
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Issue: 1

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