PROTON CONDUCTION IN LITHIUM HYDRAZINIUM SULPHATE, Li(N2H6)SO4

Abstract

Electrical conductivity measurements have been made over a range of temperatures on single crystals of lithium hydrazinium sulphate. The d-c. conductivity was found to be markedly anisotropic with the direction of easiest conduction along the ferroelectric c axis. The protonic nature of the current carriers was established in an electrolysis experiment in which the evolution of hydrogen gas was found to be, after an initial time lag, directly proportional to the electrical charge transported across the crystal. The conduction process is discussed in terms of crystal structure and proton reorientations.