A liquid derivative of 12-tungstophosphoric acid with unusually high conductivity.

Surface functionalization of the solid heteropolyacid H3PW12O40 with a bulky PEG-containing quaternary ammonium cation through partial proton exchange leads to a polyoxometalate-based liquid salt with high-temperature proton conductivity ( approximately 10-3 S cm-1 at 140 degrees C) under dry conditions. The proton conductivity of the liquid salt is 4 orders of magnitude higher than that of the solid analogue under identical conditions and shows super ionic behavior as defined by Walden plot.