Crystal structure and ionic conductivity of three polymorphic phases of rubidium trifluoromethyl sulfonate, RbSO3CF3.

The crystal structures of three polymorphic phases of rubidium trifluoromethyl sulfonate (RbSO3CF3, rubidium 'triflate') were solved from X-ray powder diffraction data. At room temperature, rubidium triflate crystallizes in the monoclinic space group Cm with lattice parameters of a = 19.9611(5) A, b = 23.4913(7) A, c = 5.1514(2) A, beta = 102.758(2) degrees; Z = 16. At T = 321 K, a first-order phase transition occurs toward a monoclinic phase in space group P2(1) with lattice parameters at T = 344 K of a = 10.3434(5) A, b = 5.8283(3) A, c = 5.1982(3) A, beta = 104.278(6) degrees; Z = 2). At T = 461 K, another phase transition, this time of second order, occurs toward an orthorhombic phase in space group Cmcm with lattice parameters at T = 510 K of a = 5.3069(2) A, b = 20.2423(10) A, c = 5.9479(2) A; Z = 4. As a common feature within all three crystal structures of rubidium triflate, the triflate anions are arranged in double layers with the lipophilic CF3 groups facing each other. The rubidium ions are located between the SO3 groups. The general packing is similar to the packing in cesium triflate. Rubidium triflate can be classified as a solid electrolyte with a specific ionic conductivity of sigma = 9.89 x 10(-9) S/cm at T = 384 K and sigma = 3.84 x 10(-6) S/cm at T = 481 K.