THE IMPEDANCE BEHAVIOR OF THE CELL AU/HCLO4.5.5H2O/AU IN THE TEMPERATURE-RANGE 4.2-300-K

The impedance of the cell Au/HClO4.5.5 H2O/Au was investigated in the frequency range 1 to 10(5) Hz between 4.2 and 300 K. The analysis of the data enables an evaluation of important electrolyte properties such as conductivity and dielectric constant in a wide range of temperatures, predominantly in the solid state of the electrolyte HClO4.5.5 H2O (T(f) = 228 K). The double layer capacity of the gold electrodes was also determined; it shows a qualitatively similar result compared with previous measurements. In the solid state, the ionic conductivity exhibits two distinct activation energies of 0.37 and 0.54 eV corresponding to the two phases present in HClO45.5 H2O above and below 170 K. Below 120 K the activation energy becomes very small and tends to zero around 800 K indicating possible tunneling processes in the rigid H2O structure. At about the same temperature the dielectric constant reaches its low temperature limit with a value epsilon-infinity almost-equal-to 11 which is considerably higher than the value of pure ice of epsilon-infinity almost-equal-to 3.