Conductivity-viscosity-structure: unpicking the relationship in an ionic liquid.

The relationships between the ionic mobility, the viscosity, and the atomic-scale structure are investigated in computer simulations of mixtures of LiF and the network glass-forming material BeF(2). The simulations span a wide range of compositions, across which the fluidity of the system changes gr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Salanne, M, Simon, C, Turq, P, Madden, P
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2007
Description
Summary:The relationships between the ionic mobility, the viscosity, and the atomic-scale structure are investigated in computer simulations of mixtures of LiF and the network glass-forming material BeF(2). The simulations span a wide range of compositions, across which the fluidity of the system changes greatly due to the break-up of the Be-F network by the addition of the LiF. The relationship between the conductivity and viscosity passes from that expected for independently diffusing ions in the dilute mixtures to strongly decoupled Li+ migration through a viscous network at higher concentrations. The transition between these régimes is linked to the changing local and intermediate-scale structure in the melts. The decoupling phenomenon is associated with the appearance of migration channels in the network which leads to cooperative effects in the Li+ migration.