Cation size effects in oxygen ion dynamics of highly disordered pyrochlore-type ionic conductors

Abstract

In this work we evaluate the effect of cation size on the dc activation energy needed for oxygen ion migration, E_(dc), in highly disordered pyrochlore-type ionic conductors A_(2)B_(2)O_(7). Twenty six compositions with the general formula, Ln_(2)Zr_(2−y)Ti_(y)O_(7), Ln_(1.7)Mg_(0.3)Zr_(2)O_(7) (Ln=Y, Dy, and Gd), and Gd_(2−y)La_(y)Zr_(2)O_(7), were prepared by mechanical milling, and their electrical properties were measured by using impedance spectroscopy as a function of frequency and temperature. By using the coupling model we also examine the effect of cation radii R_(A) and R_(B) on the microscopic potential-energy barrier, E_(a), which oxygen ions encounter when hopping into neighboring vacant sites. We find that, for a fixed B-site-cation radius R_(B), both activation energies decrease with increasing A-site-cation size, R_(A), as a consequence of the increase in the unit-cell volume. In contrast, for a given R_(A) size, the E_(dc) of the Ln_(2)Zr_(2−y)Ti_(y)O_(7) series increases when the average R_(B) size increases. This behavior is associated with enhanced interactions among mobile oxygen ions as the structural disorder increases with R_(B).