Structure and conductivity of Nd6MoO12-based potential electron–proton conductors under dry and wet redox conditions
Loading...
Date
2019-01-09
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Royal Society of Chemistry
Abstract
Nominal compositions Nd6MoO12 (3[thin space (1/6-em)]:[thin space (1/6-em)]1) and Nd10Mo2O21 (5[thin space (1/6-em)]:[thin space (1/6-em)]2) were prepared by high-temperature synthesis in air from a mechanically activated mixture of Nd2O3 and MoO3. Phase-pure Nd6MoO12−δ and Nd6MoO12−α have been obtained at 1600 and 1650 °C, respectively. They are both slightly rhombohedrally distorted derivatives from the cubic fluorite structure. Nd10Mo2O21 with a lower content of Nd2O3 was shown to be a more complex phase based on the rhombohedral phase (R[3 with combining macron]) in the 1600–1650 °C temperature range. As a result of the formation of a more complex rhombohedral phase, the conductivity of Nd10Mo2O21 changes dramatically in comparison with Nd6MoO12−δ. In wet air Nd6MoO12−δ is a p-type electronic conductor, whereas proton conductivity dominates in Nd10Mo2O21 over the entire temperature range studied. The electrical conductivity dependence of Nd6MoO12−δ on the oxygen partial pressure shows a V-type behaviour typical of a transition from a p-type to n-type conductivity mechanism at 800 ≤ T ≤ 1000 °C. There is no p-type conductivity contribution in Nd10Mo2O21 in the same temperature range. The prevalence of electronic conductivity in the samples with nominal composition Nd6MoO12 in a wide temperature range is due to the fact that Nd and Mo in the fluorite materials are readily reduced. Predominantly Nd3+ and Mo6+ forms exist in more complex rhombohedral phase Nd10Mo2O21 and it has proton conductivity ∼8.5 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 800 °C. Thus, the loss of dimensional stability is more characteristic of fluorites and rhombohedral phases with small rhombohedral distortion (Nd5.4Zr0.6MoO12.3, Nd6MoO12−δ) than more complex rhombohedral phases based on (R[3 with combining macron]) (Nd10Mo2O21). A comparative high-temperature in situ neutron diffraction study under high vacuum of rhombohedral Nd6MoO12−δ and cubic fluorite Nd5.4Zr0.6MoO12.3 showed that the former transforms to the high-temperature cubic fluorite type above ∼1140 °C while the latter retains its cubic structure in the studied range up to 1350 °C. © the Partner Organisations 2019
Description
Keywords
Fluorite, Cubic lattices, Trigonal lattices, Temperature range 1000-4000 K, Electric conductivity, Oxygen, Partial pressure, Proton conductivity, Neutron diffraction
Citation
Shlyakhtina, A. V., Avdeev, M., Abrantes, J. C. C., Gomes, E., Lyskov, N. V., Kharitonova, E. P., Kolbanev, I. V., & Shcherbakova, L. G. (2019). Structure and conductivity of Nd6MoO12-based potential electron–proton conductors under dry and wet redox conditions. Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers, 6(2), 566-575. doi:10.1039/C8QI01142G