Sol-gel synthesis and investigation of proton-conducting hybrid organic-inorganic silicophosphate materials

Abstract

Proton-conducting silicophosphate sol-gel systems modified by water-and alcohol-soluble low-molecular and high-molecular organic compounds (such as polyionenes, polyaminoguanidine, and organosilicon monomer) are synthesized by the sol-gel method. The physicochemical processes occurring in the course of the synthesis are investigated. It is revealed that the introduction of polyionenes into the sol-gel systems prevents the formation of silicon pyrophosphate crystals in the resulting silicophosphate nanocomposites (upon their heat treatment) and favors an increase in the protonic conductivity to 10−2 S/cm over a wide range of temperatures (0–120°C).