Synthesis and conductivity performance of K0.57WO3 tungsten bronze with gaseous permeating of K7MnFeW11O39⋅13H2O by Sm

• MnFeW11 with Keggin structure was synthesized for the first time.
• K0.57WO3 tungsten bronze is the main production in the permeated sample.
• The electrical conductivity increases by approximately 1000 times after permeation.
• The present work provides a new method for solid electrolyte conducting materials.

Heteropoly compound K7MnFeW11O39⋅13H2O(Abbr.:MnFeW11) with Keggin structure was synthesized by the stepwise acidification and the stepwise addition of element solutions. A new method named Rare Earth Gas Phase-Heated Diffused Permeation was explored to synthesize K0.57WO3 tungsten bronze through permeating earth element Sm into heteropoly compound MnFeW11 at 550 °C. MnFeW11 and production of permeation were characterized by IR, XRD, ICP, XPS and TG-DTA. Conductivity of that was investigated by four-electrode method. The results of IR and XRD indicate that Keggin structure of heteropoly compound MnFeW11 is changed by the permeation, the bond of W–O–W is broken, and the main production named K0.57WO3 tungsten bronze is formed with tungsten-oxygen octahedra solely linked by corners. ICP and XPS results show that Sm binds with components of permeation. Production of permeation has a high conductivity (4.17 × 10−4 S cm−1), which is 1000 times higher than that of the original sample.