ROOM-TEMPERATURE MOLTEN POLYIODIDES

Room temperature molten polyiodides have been prepared by reaction of dry iodine and solid iodides of large cations such as tetraoctylammonium iodide, methyltriethylammonium iodide and triethylsulphonium iodide. The existence of liquid polyiodides is determined by Raman spectroscopy, liquid X-ray diffraction and other methods. Liquid polyiodides are good electrical conductors with electrical conductivities in the range of 10(-3) to 4 x 10(-2) S cm-1 at room temperature. An ionic transport mechanism as the deciding mechanism can be excluded due to the increase of conductivity with increasing iodine contents in the polyiodides. A Grotthus-like charge transfer mechanism along the polyiodide chains is suggested.