Singularity of proton transport in salts of orthoperiodic and orthotellurium acids: theoretical modeling using density functional calculations

Density functional B3LYP calculations have been performed to investigate proton transport in orthoperiodic and orthotellurium acids, their salts MIO(6)H(4)(M = Li, Rb, Cs) and CsH(5)TeO(6), dimers of the salt*acid type MIO(6)H(4)*H(5)IO(6)(M = Rb, Cs), CsIO(6)H(4)*H(6)TeO(6), CsHSO(4)*H(6)TeO(6), Cs(2)SO(4)*H(6)TeO(6), and also in double-substituted and binary salts Rb(2)H(3)IO(6) and Rb(4)H(2)I(2)O(10). It has been shown that the energy of salt dimerization is 33-35 kcal mol(-1) and the activation barrier for proton migration between the neighboring octahedrons of the salt*acid --> acid*salt type is calculated to be 3-13 kcal mol(-1). The activation energy of the proton migration along the octahedron, 20-30 kcal mol(-1), is comparable with the barrier for water molecule separation. Quantum-chemical calculations correlate with the results of X-ray and electrochemical studies.