Conductance and spectroscopy of protonic beta and beta″-aluminas

Five protonic beta and beta″-aluminas; viz hydrated sodium beta-alumina (1,24Na₂O·11Al₂O₃), hydronium beta-alumina (1.24H₂O·11Al₂O₃·2.6H₂O), partially dehydrated hydronium beta-alumina (1.24H₂O·11Al₂O₃·1.3H₂O), hydrogen beta-alumina (1.24H₂O·11Al₂O₃) and hydronium beta″-alumina (0.84H₂O·0.8MgO·5Al₂O₃·2.8H₂O) were examined by broad band nuclear magnetic resonance from ?196°C to 200°C. The spectra of hydronium beta-alumina and hydronium beta″-alumina are consistent with a mixed composition of H₂O, H₃O⁺ and H⁺ species in the conducting plane. Hydrogen beta-alumina and partially dehydrated hydronium beta-alumina appear to contain only relatively isolated (2.6–2.7Å) protons; no evidence of molecular water or hydronium ions is found. Water molecules intercalated into the conduction plane of sodium beta-alumina do not appear to be in rapid motion, even at 167°C, but are relatively stationary. The onset of motional narrowing in hydronium beta″-alumina occurs at ?40°C but not until +30°C in hydronium beta-alumina. This is consistent with the higher conductivity reported for hydronium beta″-alumina, 10^?3–10^?5 (ohm-cm)^?1 at 25°C, in comparison to 10^?10–10^?11 (ohm-cm)^?1 for hydronium beta-alumina at 25°C.