Ionic conductivity of new ambient temperature alkali metal glasses AlCl3/NaN(CN)(2)

Ambient temperature alkali glassy salt mixtures, x[AlCl3]/(1 - x)[NaN(CN)(2 )] (x = 0.4-0.75), were prepared. A large increase in the C equivalent to N stretching frequencies for these materials indicate complex formation betw een the anion [N(CN)(2)](-) and AlCl3 molecule. Ab initio calculations conf irm the assignments of the vibrational frequencies. The 1:1 adduct has a gl ass transition at 27 degrees C, and the glassy state persists for 4 weeks a t room temperature. The room temperature ionic conductivity of this glass i s 6.6 x 10(-6) S/cm, and it increases as the AlCl3 content increases. The t emperature dependence of the conductivity follows the Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher equation, suggesting that ion transport is coupled to local motion in the g lassy salt mixture system.