Conductometric and thermal studies of fused Zn(II) salts containing methyl substituted pyridinium cations

Alkyl-substituted pyridinium salts each possessing a bulky polyatomic zincate ion have been synthesized with the objective of measuring their electrical conductivity and investigating their thermal stability. The influence of hydrogen bonding and methyl substituent(s) located at different positions in the aromatic fragment in the molecule on the structure-conductivity relationship has been studied. It has been experimentally verified that the mechanism by which the protonic conductivity is enhanced or diminished depends to a certain degree on steric factors, i.e. the proximity of the large orthochlorozincate ion and methyl substituents.