Conduction through viscoelastic phase in a redox-active ionic liquid at reduced temperatures

Abstract

The phase diagram of the redox active ionic liquid 1-methyl-3- propylimidazolium iodide (PMII) is examined as a function of temperature and iodine concentration. Beyond a threshold concentration of 3.9 M, the formation of higher polyiodides gives rise to a viscoelastic phase upon cooling. Despite of the very high viscosity of such polyiodide-containing PMII melts a strikingly high conductivity is maintained through Grotthuss-type bond exchange and ionic conduction. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.