Cd(13-x)In(y)Sb10 (x approximately 2.7, y approximately 1.5): an interstitial-free variant of thermoelectric beta-Zn4Sb3.

Cd(13-x)In(y)Sb10 (x approximately 2.7, y approximately 1.5) was synthesized in the form of mm-sized crystals from reaction mixtures containing excess cadmium. The intermetallic compound crystallizes in the rhombohedral space group R3m with a=12.9704(4), c=12.9443(5) A, V=1886.0(1) A3, Z=3 and is isostructural to thermoelectric beta-Zn4Sb3 and beta-Cd4Sb3. However, in contrast to these last two compounds Cd(13-x)In(y)Sb(10) is free from interstitial atoms and does not display any temperature polymorphism. The electrical resistivity of Cd(13-x)In(y)Sb10 is considerably higher than that of Zn4Sb3 and Cd4Sb3 although the temperature behavior remains that of a metal. The thermal conductivity of Cd(13-x)In(y)Sb10 is low, with room-temperature magnitudes around 0.8 W m(-1) K(-1), which is comparable to disordered or complex structured Cd4Sb3 and Zn4Sb3.

Metastable Cd4Sb3: a complex structured intermetallic compound with semiconductor properties.

The metastable binary intermetallic compound Cd4Sb3 was obtained as polycrystalline ingot by quenching stoichiometric Cd-Sb melts and as mm-sized crystals by employing Bi or Sn fluxes. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group Pn with a = 11.4975(5) A, b = 26.126(1) A, c = 26.122(1) A, beta = 100.77(1) degrees, and V = 7708.2(5) A(3). The actual formula unit of Cd4Sb3 is Cd13Sb10 and the unit cell contains 156 Cd and 120 Sb atoms (Z = 12). Cd4Sb3 displays a reversible order-disorder transition at 373 K and decomposes exothermically into a mixture of elemental Cd and CdSb at around 520 K. Disordered beta-Cd4Sb3 is rhombohedral (space group R3c, a approximately = 13.04 A, c approximately = 13.03 A) with a framework isostructural to beta-Zn4Sb3. The structure of monoclinic alpha-Cd4Sb3 bears resemblance to the low-temperature modifications of Zn4Sb3, alpha- and alpha'-Zn4Sb3, in that randomly distributed vacancies and interstitial atoms of the high-temperature modification aggregate and order into distinct arrays. However, the nature of aggregation and distribution of aggregates is different in the two systems. Cd4Sb3 displays the properties of a narrow gap semiconductor. Between 10 and 350 K the resistivity of melt-quenched samples first increases with increasing temperature until a maximum value at 250 K and then decreases again. The resistivity maximum is accompanied with a discontinuity in the thermopower, which is positive and increasing from 10 to 350 K. The room temperature values of the resistivity and thermopower are about 25 mohms cm and 160 microV/K, respectively. Flux synthesized samples show altered properties due to the incorporation of small amounts of Bi or Sn (less than 1 at. %). Thermopower and resistivity appear drastically increased for Sn doped samples. Characteristic for Cd4Sb3 samples is their low thermal conductivity, which drops below 1 W/mK above 130 K and attains values around 0.75 W/mK at room temperature, which is comparable to vitreous materials.

Parallel developments in aprotic and protic ionic liquids: physical chemistry and applications.

This Account covers research dating from the early 1960s in the field of low-melting molten salts and hydrates,which has recently become popular under the rubric of "ionic liquids". It covers understanding gained in the principal author's laboratories (initially in Australia, but mostly in the U.S.A.) from spectroscopic, dynamic, and thermodynamic studies and includes recent applications of this understanding in the fields of energy conversion and biopreservation. Both protic and aprotic varieties of ionic liquids are included, but recent studies have focused on the protic class because of the special applications made possible by the highly variable proton activities available in these liquids.

Prediction of macroscopic properties of protic ionic liquids by ab initio calculations.

We have systematically investigated combinations of anions and cations in a number of protic ionic liquids based on alkylamines and used ab initio methods to gain insight into the parameters determining their liquid range and their conductivity. A simple, almost linear, relation of the experimentally determined melting temperature with the calculated volume of the anion forming the ionic liquid is found, whereas the dependence of the melting temperature with increasing cation volume goes through a minimum for relatively short side chain length. On the basis of the present results, we propose a strategy to predict the nature of protic ionic liquids in terms of low vapor pressure and conductivity. Comparisons with previously reported strategies for prediction of melting temperatures for aprotic ionic liquids are also made.

Reversible folding-unfolding, aggregation protection, and multi-year stabilization, in high concentration protein solutions, using ionic liquids.

We report the reversible thermal unfolding/refolding, and long period stabilization against aggregation and hydrolysis, of >200 mg ml(-1) solutions of lysozyme in ionic liquid-rich, ice-avoiding, solvents.

Protic ionic liquids: preparation, characterization, and proton free energy level representation.

We give a perspective on the relations between inorganic and organic cation ionic liquids (ILs), including members with melting points that overlap around the borderline 100 degrees C. We then present data on the synthesis and properties (melting, boiling, glass temperatures, etc.) of a large number of an intermediate group of liquids that cover the ground between equimolar molecular mixtures and ILs, depending on the energetics of transfer of a proton from one member of the pair to the other. These proton-transfer ILs have interesting properties, including the ability to serve as electrolytes in solvent-free fuel cell systems. We provide a basis for assessing their relation to aprotic ILs by means of a Gurney-type proton-transfer free energy level diagram, with approximate values of the energy levels based on free energy of formation and pK(a) data. The energy level scheme allows us to verify the relation between solvent-free acidic and basic electrolytes, and the familiar aqueous variety, and to identify neutral protic electrolytes that are unavailable in the case of aqueous systems.

Binary inorganic salt mixtures as high conductivity liquid electrolytes for >100 degrees C fuel cells.

We report the successful application of low-melting inorganic salts with protonated cations (e.g. ammonium) as electrolytes in fuel cells operating in the temperature range 100-200 degrees C, where even with unoptimized electrodes, cell performance is comparable to that of the phosphoric acid fuel cell operating with optimized electrodes in the same temperature range, while open circuit voltages, and efficiencies at low current densities, can be much better--and there is no need for humidification or pressure to sustain performance.