Highly-Conductive Ceramics with Multiple Types of Mobile Charge Carriers

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2021) | Viewed by 13704

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Institute of Nanotechnology and Materials Engineering, Avanced Materials Centre, Gdańsk University of Technology, Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
Interests: proton conductors; solids state ionics; functional materials; ceramics; crystal structure

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School of Chemical Engineering, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia
Interests: solid state ionics; ceramics; synthesis; crystal structure; electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; solid oxide cells

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School of Materials Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea
Interests: electroceramics; impedance spectroscopy for energy; electronic applications
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Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Interests: high-temperature proton conductors; hydrogen separation; hydrogen production; catalytic membrane reactors; hydrogen compressors; fuel cells
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue “Highly-conductive ceramics with multiple types of mobile charge carriers” aims to explore the intricacies of crystalline materials in which mobility of more than one charge carrier determines electronic conductivity. The topic extends also to non-trivial conducting mechanisms, correlation and associative effects between charged species. The focus is not limited to bulk conductivity but incorporates interfacial effects, grain boundaries, surface conductivity and nanoionics. We want this to become a platform for brave ideas at the early stage of exploration.

Dr. Sebastian Wachowski
Dr. Sandrine Ricote
Prof. Dr. Jong-Sook Lee
Prof. Dr. Gilles Gauthier
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • co-ionic conductors
  • mixed ionic-electronic conductors
  • triple-conducting oxides
  • interfacial effects
  • charge carrier correlations
  • nanoionics

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 169 KiB  
Editorial
Highly Conductive Ceramics with Multiple Types of Mobile Charge Carriers
by Sebastian Wachowski, Gilles Gauthier, Jong-Sook Lee and Sandrine Ricote
Crystals 2021, 11(9), 1148; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11091148 - 21 Sep 2021
Viewed by 1692
Abstract
Functional ceramic materials are of interest in many applications due to their structural and chemical richness and the huge range of physical properties that can be generated and modified by the control of the former (electrical conductivity, thermo-mechanical properties, dielectric, piezoelectric, ferroelectric properties, [...] Read more.
Functional ceramic materials are of interest in many applications due to their structural and chemical richness and the huge range of physical properties that can be generated and modified by the control of the former (electrical conductivity, thermo-mechanical properties, dielectric, piezoelectric, ferroelectric properties, etc [...] Full article

Research

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22 pages, 31042 KiB  
Article
Conductivity Transitions of La0.7Sr0.3MnOδ and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ in Ce0.9Gd0.1O2−δ Matrix for Dual-Phase Oxygen Transport Membranes
by Thuy Linh Pham, Ji Haeng Yu and Jong-Sook Lee
Crystals 2021, 11(6), 712; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11060712 - 21 Jun 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2026
Abstract
Using van der Pauw method, the conductivity of disk samples of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3±δ (LSM) and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3δ (LSCF) in a [...] Read more.
Using van der Pauw method, the conductivity of disk samples of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3±δ (LSM) and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3δ (LSCF) in a Ce0.9Gd0.1O2δ (GDC) matrix was accurately quasi-continuously measured over 800 °C to −73 °C, and the transition points in Arrhenius behavior were systematically obtained from the extremum points of the second derivatives. While LSM-containing samples showed reproducible conductivity trajectories, the LSCF system exhibited unsystematic changes which may be related to the substantial oxidation/reduction reactions accompanying the ferroelastic–paraelastic transitions with a substantial thermal hysteresis at 650 °C to 750 °C, corresponding to conductivity maxima. A sudden decrease in activation energies on cooling corresponds to the para-to-ferromagnetic, weak insulator–metal transitions and the Curie temperature of LSM appears to gradually decrease in composites to 90 °C, while LSCF composites exhibit blurred transitions at approximately 40 °C. Relatively insulating paramagnetic phases are characterized by activation energy values ~0.2 eV, change to the high temperature phase exhibiting activation energy 0.1 eV for small polaron hopping mechanisms at 300 °C to 500 °C with increasing GDC content in the LSM composites and by two transitions at 60 °C and 245 °C for the LSCF composites. LSCF single phase shows distinctly lower transition points which appear to match with the singularly large c lattice parameter whereas the composites exhibit decreasing c with LSCF amount together with increasing lattice parameter of GDC. Van der Pauw conductivity is a feasible and sensitive in situ tool for monitoring the status of oxygen transport membranes. Full article
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14 pages, 9915 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Electrostrictive Coefficient and Suppressive Hysteresis in Lead-Free Ba(1−x)SrxTiO3 Piezoelectric Ceramics with High Strain
by Mu Song, Xiaoyuan Sun, Qiong Li, Hao Qian, Yunfei Liu and Yinong Lyu
Crystals 2021, 11(5), 555; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11050555 - 16 May 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2061
Abstract
Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics with both low hysteresis and superior electrostrictive coefficient features are crucial toward providing desired performance for intelligent electrical devices, especially in high-precision displacement actuators. In this work, we propose a novel scenario, which is to design the phase transition around [...] Read more.
Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics with both low hysteresis and superior electrostrictive coefficient features are crucial toward providing desired performance for intelligent electrical devices, especially in high-precision displacement actuators. In this work, we propose a novel scenario, which is to design the phase transition around ambient temperature to enhance electrostrictive effect and inhibit hysteresis. In other words, the dense ceramics with cubic phases (C) and tetragonal phases (T) coexisting at RT (room temperature) were designed. According to this scenario, the Ba(1−x)SrxTiO3 (abbreviated as BT-100xST) ceramics were fabricated by the conventional solid-state reaction method. The relaxor behavior, ferroelectric properties, crystal structure and microstructure of BT-100xST ceramics have been investigated in detail. As a result, the BT-100xST ceramics with x = 0.20–0.40 present relaxor behavior which was indicated by dielectric constant as a function of temperature and (polarization–electric field) PE hysteresis loops. The BT-30ST ceramics exhibit enhanced electrostrictive coefficient Q33 (>0.034 m4/C2), and the electrostrictive strain and low hysteresis achieves 0.11% and 2%, respectively. The BT-100xST ceramics are considered as a prospective option for application in displacement actuators with high sensitivity and high precision. Full article
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13 pages, 4367 KiB  
Article
Influence of Doping on the Transport Properties of Y1−xLnxMnO3+δ (Ln: Pr, Nd)
by Kacper Cichy and Konrad Świerczek
Crystals 2021, 11(5), 510; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11050510 - 05 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1863
Abstract
It has been documented that the total electrical conductivity of the hexagonal rare-earth manganites Y0.95Pr0.05MnO3+δ and Y0.95Nd0.05MnO3+δ, as well as the undoped YMnO3+δ, is largely dependent on the oxygen excess [...] Read more.
It has been documented that the total electrical conductivity of the hexagonal rare-earth manganites Y0.95Pr0.05MnO3+δ and Y0.95Nd0.05MnO3+δ, as well as the undoped YMnO3+δ, is largely dependent on the oxygen excess δ, which increases considerably at temperatures below ca. 300 °C in air or O2. Improvement for samples maintaining the same P63cm crystal structure can exceed 3 orders of magnitude below 200 °C and is related to the amount of the intercalated oxygen. At the same time, doping with Nd3+ or Pr3+ affects the ability of the materials to incorporate O2, and therefore indirectly influences the conductivity as well. At high temperatures (700–1000 °C) and in different atmospheres of Ar, air, and O2, all materials are nearly oxygen-stoichiometric, showing very similar total conduction with the activation energy values of 0.8–0.9 eV. At low temperatures in Ar (δ ≈ 0), the mean ionic radius of Y1−xLnx appears to influence the electrical conductivity, with the highest values observed for the parent YMnO3. For Y0.95Pr0.05MnO3+δ oxide, showing the largest oxygen content changes, the recorded dependence of the Seebeck coefficient on the temperature in different atmospheres exhibits complex behavior, reflecting oxygen content variations, and change of the dominant charge carriers at elevated temperatures in Ar (from electronic holes to electrons). Supplementary cathodic polarization resistance studies of the Y0.95Pr0.05MnO3+δ electrode document different behavior at higher and lower temperatures in air, corresponding to the total conduction characteristics. Full article
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13 pages, 3590 KiB  
Article
Sodium, Silver and Lithium-Ion Conducting β″-Alumina + YSZ Composites, Ionic Conductivity and Stability
by Liangzhu Zhu and Anil V. Virkar
Crystals 2021, 11(3), 293; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11030293 - 16 Mar 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2409
Abstract
Na-β″-alumina (Na2O.~6Al2O3) is known to be an excellent sodium ion conductor in battery and sensor applications. In this study we report fabrication of Na- β″-alumina + YSZ dual phase composite to mitigate moisture and CO2 corrosion [...] Read more.
Na-β″-alumina (Na2O.~6Al2O3) is known to be an excellent sodium ion conductor in battery and sensor applications. In this study we report fabrication of Na- β″-alumina + YSZ dual phase composite to mitigate moisture and CO2 corrosion that otherwise can lead to degradation in pure Na-β″-alumina conductor. Subsequently, we heat-treated the samples in molten AgNO3 and LiNO3 to respectively form Ag-β″-alumina + YSZ and Li-β″-alumina + YSZ to investigate their potential applications in silver- and lithium-ion solid state batteries. Ion exchange fronts were captured via SEM and EDS techniques. Their ionic conductivities were measured using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Both ion exchange rates and ionic conductivities of these composite ionic conductors were firstly reported here and measured as a function of ion exchange time and temperature. Full article
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Review

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16 pages, 771 KiB  
Review
Properties of Barium Cerate-Zirconate Thin Films
by Piotr Winiarz, Monica Susana Campos Covarrubias, Mantas Sriubas, Kristina Bockute, Tadeusz Miruszewski, Wojciech Skubida, Daniel Jaworski, Giedrius Laukaitis and Maria Gazda
Crystals 2021, 11(8), 1005; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst11081005 - 23 Aug 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2435
Abstract
In this work, we review several experimental results showing the electrical properties of barium cerate-zirconate thin films and discuss them in view of the possible influence of various factors on their properties. Most of the presented Ba(Ce, Zr, Y)O3 thin films were [...] Read more.
In this work, we review several experimental results showing the electrical properties of barium cerate-zirconate thin films and discuss them in view of the possible influence of various factors on their properties. Most of the presented Ba(Ce, Zr, Y)O3 thin films were formed by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique, however thin films prepared using other methods, like RF magnetron sputtering, electron-beam deposition, powder aerosol deposition (PAD), atomic layer deposition (ALD) and spray deposition are also reported. The electrical properties of the thin films strongly depend on the film microstructure. The influence of the interface layers, space-charge layers, and strain-modified layers on the total conductivity is also essential but in many cases is weaker. Full article
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