Crystal chemistry of melilite [CaLa] 2[Ga] 2[Ga 2O 7] 2: A five dimensional solid electrolyte

Fengxia Wei*, Tom Baikie, Tao An, Christian Kloc, Jun Wei, Tim White

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Melilite-type [A 2] 2[B I] 2[B II 2O 7] 2 gallates are promising ion conducting electrolytes for deployment in solid oxide fuel cells. Single crystals of [CaLa] 2[Ga] 2[Ga 2O 7] 2, grown in an optical floating zone furnace, were investigated using a combination of transmission electron microscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Strong anisotropic displacements of oxygen arise from the structural misfit between the interlayer Ca/La cations and the [Ga]-[Ga 2O 7] tetrahedral layers. A model employing two-dimensional modulation achieves bond lengths and bond angles that preserve satisfactory bond valence sums throughout the structure. The melilite belongs to the tetragonal superspace group P4̄2 1m(α α, 0)00s(ᾱ, α, 0)000, α = 0.2160(5), with a subcell metric of a = 7.9383(2) Å, c = 5.2641(3) A, onto which modulation vectors are superimposed: q 1 = α (a* + b*), q 2 = α (-a* + b*). Both displacive (cation and anion) and occupational (cation) modulations contribute to incommensuration. The analysis of structural adjustments that accompany changes in temperature and composition provides assurance that the crystal chemical model is correct. By better understanding the flexibility of this modulated structure a rational approach toward crystallochemical optimization of electrolyte performance by enhancing oxygen mobility becomes feasible.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)5941-5949
Number of pages9
JournalInorganic Chemistry
Volume51
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 21 2012
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
  • Inorganic Chemistry

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Crystal chemistry of melilite [CaLa] 2[Ga] 2[Ga 2O 7] 2: A five dimensional solid electrolyte'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this