Electronic properties of hydrogen molybdenum bronze

Abstract The electronic properties of H 1.6 MoO 3 were studied by different kinds of techniques. The static magnetic susceptibility is of the Pauli type above 210 K and of the Curie type below. UV-visible spectrometry permits an evaluation of the number of electrons given by the hydrogen to the oxide. The lifetime of the delocalized electron on molybdenum calculated by Fermi statistics is in agreement with the fact that the Mo 5+ cation is observed by XPS and not by EPR. XPS measurements suggest that the conduction at room temperature is due to the interaction of the 4 dt 2g orbital of the molybdenum with the p π orbital of the oxygen. These results lead to the conclusion that H 1.6 MoO 3 is, as far as the electronic properties are concerned, a bronze like Na x WO 3 or Na x MoO 3 .