Structure-property relationships in A3OhTd2O7.5+x ionic conductors

Materials displaying high ionic conductivity are vital components in many important energy-related technologies, including oxygen pumps, sensors, batteries, and fuel cells. Pure ionic conductors are required as electrolytes, and mixed ionic and electronic conductors are required as electrode materials. In the area of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) there is a need for pure oxide conductors which operate at significantly lower temperature than current materials, while mixed ionic (O2 /H+) and rare triple (O2-/H+/e-) conductors offer alternatives to traditional SOFC technologies.
In this proposal we request 4 days on HRPD to investigate oxide ion conductors in the A3OhTd2O7.5+x structural family. We plan to determine the structures of Sr3YGa2O7.5 and its Zn-doped oxygen-deficient analogues at ambient temperature, the structure of Ba1.5Sr1.5YGa2O7.5 at high temperature and the structures of a series of Ba1.5Sr1.5YGa2-xZnxO7.5 x/2 (x = 0.10, 0.20, 0.40) materials at room temperature.