Comparative Study of Electrical Conduction and Oxygen Diffusion in the Rhombohedral and Bixbyite Ln6MoO12 (Ln = Er, Tm, Yb) Polymorphs

Electrical conduction and oxygen diffusion mobility in the bixbyite (Ia3) and rhombohedral (R3) polymorphs of the Ln6MoO12−Δ (Ln = Er, Tm, Yb; Δ = δ, δ1, δ2; δ1 > δ2) heavy lanthanide molybdates, belonging to new, previously unexplored classes of potential mixed (ionic–electronic) conductors, have been studied in the range of 200–900 °C. The oxygen self-diffusion coefficient in bixbyite (Ia3) Yb6MoO12−δ phase estimated by the temperature-programmed heteroexchange with C18O2 was shown to be much higher than that for rhombohedral (R3) RI (with large oxygen deficiency) and (R3) RII (with small oxygen deficiency) Ln6MoO12−Δ (Ln = Tm, Yb; Δ = δ1; δ1 > δ2) oxides. According to the activation energy for total conduction in ambient air, 0.99, 0.93, and 1.01 eV in Er6MoO12−δ, Tm6MoO12−δ, and Yb6MoO12−δ bixbyites, respectively, oxygen ion conductivity prevails in the range ∼200–500 °C. Oxygen mobility data for the rhombohedral Ln6MoO12−Δ (Ln = Er, Tm, Yb; Δ = δ1, δ2) phases RI and RII indicate that the oxygen ...