Solid State Ionics, Vol.145, No.1-4, 407-413, 2001
Electrical and electrochemical processes in solid tetrabutylammonium hydroxide hydrate
The electrical and electrochemical processes in solid tetrabutylammonium hydroxide hydrate (C4H9)(4)NOH . 30H(2)O (TBAOH30) have been studied in the temperature range 80-305 K by impedance spectroscopy and linear sweep voltammetry. The shape of impedance spectra of an Au \ TBAOH30 \ Au cell depends on temperature. Except at the lowest temperatures, it exhibits at least two time constants. The electrical conductivity is similar to that of previously studied tetramethylammonium hydroxide hydrates. Approximately, linear Arrhenius-type conductivity dependence is observed for higher and lower temperatures. The activation energies are equal to 0.31 and 0.18 eV, respectively. The electrochemical reaction: hydrogen evolution was studied in an Au \ (C4H9)(4)NOH . 30H(2)O \H-2(Pd) cell. Lowering of temperature cause a decrease of cathodic current. At high overpotentials, an approximately linear semilogarithmic dependence of current density on overpotential is observed. The activation energy of the electrochemical reaction is equal to 0.44-0.47 eV and larger than that of conductivity. The reasons for this difference are discussed.
Keywords:clathrate hydrate;ionic conductivity;impedance spectroscopy;hydrogen evolution;proton conductor