Title:

Limitations on Ionic Conductivity in Molten Salts and Protic Pseudoionic Liquids

Abstract: 

In molten salt and ionic liquids, ionic conductivity reflects the "ionicity" of a system, and is normally expected to be close to the viscosity limit as predicted by either the Angell-Walden or Nernst-Einstein equations.  When it is not, the limitations are due either to limited ion concentration or limited ion mobility, and even this distinction can be blurred.  Two phenomena to be discussed (and explained!) are the conductivity maximum versus temperature of certain molten metal halides (e.g. BiCl3, SnCl2, HgBr2), and the non-stoichometric conductivity maximum vs acid/base mixing ratio in protic pseudoionic liquids (ones made from weak acids).  The importance of the ab initio tools (including AIMD simulation) for generating insight will be highlighted, and short molecular movies will be shown.