The mechanism of charge transport in the imidazolium-based ionic liquid 1,3-dimethylimidazolium dimethylphosphate is analyzed by combining broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS) and pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG NMR). The dielectric spectra are dominated—on the low-frequency side—by electrode polarization effects while, for higher frequencies, charge transport in a disordered matrix is the underlying physical mechanism. Using the Einstein and Einstein-Smoluchowski equations enables one to determine—in excellent agreement with direct measurements by PFG NMR—the diffusion coefficient of the charge carriers. By that, it becomes possible to extract from the dielectric spectra separately the number density and the mobilities of the charge carriers and the type of their thermal activation. It is shown that the observed Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) dependence of the dc conductivity can be traced back to a similar temperature dependence of the mobility while for the number density an Arrhenius-type thermal activation is found. Extrapolating the latter to room temperature indicates that nearly all charge carriers are participating in the conduction process.

• Received 11 January 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.77.051202