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Complex oxides: Intricate disorder

Journal Article · · Nature Materials
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4582· OSTI ID:1256108
 [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
In this study, complex oxides such as pyrochlores have a myriad of potential technological applications, including as fast ion conductors and radiation-tolerant nuclear waste forms. They are also of interest for their catalytic and spin ice properties. Many of these functional properties are enabled by the atomic structure of the cation sublattices. Pyrochlores (A2B2O7) contain two different cations (A and B), typically a 3+ rare earth and a 4+ transition metal such as Hf, Zr, or Ti. The large variety of chemistries that can form pyrochlores leads to a rich space in which to search for exotic new materials. Furthermore, how cations order or disorder on their respective sublattices for a given chemical composition influences the functional properties of the oxide. For example, oxygen ionic conductivity is directly correlated with the level of cation disorder — the swapping of A and B cations1. Further, the resistance of these materials against amorphization has also been connected with the ability of the cations to disorder2, 3. These correlations between cation structure and functionality have spurred great interest in the structure of the cation sublattice under irradiation, with significant focus on the disordering mechanisms and disordered structure. Previous studies have found that, upon irradiation, pyrochlores often undergo an order-to-disorder transformation, in which the resulting structure is, from a diffraction point of view, indistinguishable from fluorite (AO2) (ref. 3). Shamblin et al. now reveal that the structure of disordered pyrochlore is more complicated than previously thought4.
Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1256108
Report Number(s):
LA-UR--16-20586
Journal Information:
Nature Materials, Journal Name: Nature Materials Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 15; ISSN 1476-1122
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (6)

Oxygen ion conduction and structural disorder in conductive oxides journal December 1994
Medium-range structural order in covalent amorphous solids journal December 1991
Atomic packing and short-to-medium-range order in metallic glasses journal January 2006
Probing disorder in isometric pyrochlore and related complex oxides journal February 2016
Radiation Tolerance of Complex Oxides journal August 2000
Radiation stability of gadolinium zirconate: A waste form for plutonium disposition journal December 1999

Cited By (4)


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