Formation of "fuzzy" phases with high proton conductivities in the composites of polyphosphoric acid and metal oxide nanoparticles.

A high proton-conducting phase appears in the composites of zirconium- and titanium-oxide nanoparticles and polyphosphoric acid (HPO(3)). Metal oxide nanoparticles (ZrO(2) and TiO(2)) react with HPO(3) and form composite electrolytes containing pyrophosphates (ZrP(2)O(7) or TiP(2)O(7)) and shortened HPO(3) chains. The ZrO(2)-HPO(3) composite exhibits eleven times higher conductivity than sole HPO(3) at the maximum. A formed layer of shortened HPO(3) chains surrounding the pyrophosphates enhances the proton conductivities of the composite electrolytes and reduces the activation energies for the proton conductivities from 50 to 30 kJ mol(-1).