Fast proton transport in crystals with a dynamically disordered hydrogen bond network

Abstract The proton conductivity has been studied in the low- and high-conductive phases of CsHSO 4 , CsDSO 4 , Rb 3 H(SeO 4 ) 2 and CsH 2 PO 4 single crystals. X-ray structural data confirm the proton migration mechanism via successive proton intrabond jumps and reorientation of the OH groups. The latter leads to the breaking up of the old hydrogen bond and creating of a new one. The unique proton disorder which occurs in the high-conductive phases of the investigated crystals can be classified as a dynamically disordered hydrogen bond network and is responsible for the high proton conductivity of 10 −3 −10 −1 Ω −1 cm −1 .