Silver ion transporting mechanism in superionic conducting AgI-Ag2O-TeO2 glasses

Superionic conducting glasses in the ternary AgI-Ag2O-TeO2 system have been prepared and investigated by different techniques. Comparison between conductivities of the present glasses and those of glasses in other different systems has been carried out. The obtained results revealed that the optimum value of conductivity at room temperature is of the order of 10(-2) S cm(-1) at about 60 mol% AgI for all the considered superionic systems, regardless of their composition or types. The highest conduction at about 60 mol% AgI was correlated to the creation of maximum pathways which favour the Ag+ ion transporting mechanism. Formation of some crystalline phases from AgI at higher concentrations (>60 mol% AgI) was considered the main reason for decreasing the conduction of AgI-rich glasses. Some specific structural models have been proposed to explain the Ag+ ion transport mechanism in the AgI-Ag2O-TeO2 glasses.