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Title: Impact of segregation energetics on oxygen conductivity at ionic grain boundaries

Journal Article · · Journal of Materials Chemistry. A
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/c3ta14128d· OSTI ID:1115378
 [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science and Technology Division
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Materials Science and Technology Division; Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Materials Science and Engineering

In pursuit of whether nanocrystallinity could lead to higher anion conductivity, research has revealed contradicting results exposing the limited understanding of point defect energetics at grain boundaries (GBs)/interfaces. Furthermore, by disentangling and addressing key GB energetics issues, i.e., segregation, migration and binding energies of oxygen vacancies in the presence and absence of dopants at the GBs, and the segregation energetics of dopants, we elucidate, using atomic simulations of doped ceria, that dopant segregation is the key factor leading to degradation of oxygen conductivity in nanocrystalline materials. Finally, a framework for designing enhanced conducting nanocrystalline materials is proposed where the focus of doping strategies shifts from bulk to segregation at GBs.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1115378
Journal Information:
Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, Vol. 2, Issue 6; ISSN 2050-7488
Publisher:
Royal Society of Chemistry
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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