Effect of crystal structure of manganese dioxide on response for electrolyte of a hydrogen sensor operative at room temperature

Sensoring properties of a hydrogen sensor that used electrolytes made of different crystal type manganese dioxides were compared. An electrolyte made of a manganese dioxide, which has a high purity of ramsdellite-type crystal structure, provided the best characteristics for the hydrogen sensor. To explain the sensor property, network model of oxygen-pairs to store protons with a weak covalent bond and to conduct protons along the network in the ideal crystal structure of ramsdellite manganese dioxide was proposed. The inter-atomic distance of those oxygen-pairs in the high purity of ramsdellite manganese dioxide was estimated between 2.57 and 2.60 Å using inelastic neutron scattering measurements. The property of the hydrogen sensor supported the unique proton conduction based on the network model.