Simple coulometer for studying protonic conduction in crystals

Abstract

NOTES ON EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUE AND APPARATUS A simple glass coulometer with mercury electrodes was designed to measure the amount of gas evolved upon passing current through single crystals, to determine the extent to which electrical conduction in these crystals is due to protons or other gas-forming ions. It is useful if at least one coulomb can be passed through the crystal in a reasonable time interval. With single crystals of KH2PO4 and Li(N2H5)SO4 in this coulometer, the ratio of hydrogen evolution rate to crystal current indicates entirely protonic conduction.