CHANGE IN ELECTRICAL-CONDUCTIVITY OF A GEL MADE FROM DECOMPOSING LIQUID METAL-AMMONIA SOLUTIONS AS THE GEL IS DRIED TO A XEROGEL

Liquid lithium-ammonia and sodium-ammonia solutions form a gel in some critically decomposed state. The current-carrying gel, while boiling down, solidifies to a xerogel. If the liquid ammonia is removed from the gel, the conductivity and current density decrease by orders of magnitude. This indicates that the strongly disordered lattice of solvated metal ions in the liquid solutions in their gel state is very likely to be responsible for the high conductivity and high current density observed in that state. © 1990.