Stabilisation and characterisation of a new βIII-phase in Zr-doped Bi2O3

The solid state system Bi2O3:ZrO2 has been investigated up to 28 mol% ZrO2 using X-ray and neutron powder diffraction, ac impedance spectroscopy and differential thermal analysis. X-Ray powder diffraction has shown that a solid solution is formed with general composition Bi2 − xZrxO3 + x/2 (0.05 ≤ x ≤ 0.17) for samples calcined at 850 °C. Members of the solid solution adopt a new β-Bi2O3 type structure termed βIII, which is closely related to Pb2F2O. The defect structure of a sample of composition x = 0.15 has been determined by combined high-resolution neutron and X-ray powder diffraction. High temperature powder X-ray diffraction has been used to confirm the structure of the high temperature polymorph, which is a cubic δ-Bi2O3 analogue. In the βIII-phase, solid solution formation proceeds through an anion interstitial mechanism with respect to the hypothetical end member βIII-Bi2O3, with interstitial oxide ions located in channels parallel to the c-axis. The defect structure involves a pair of Zr atoms coordinated to interstitial ions in the channels. A possible conduction mechanism is proposed. Differential thermal analysis and ac impedance measurements indicate a complex phase transition to a highly conducting polymorph (σ700 = 1.02 S cm−1) at temperatures above ca. 690 °C on heating. Crystal parameters: T = 298 K, Bi1.85Zr0.15O3.075, M = 449.49, tetragonal, P42/nmc, a = 7.7206(8), c = 5.6370(6) A, Z = 4, U = 336.0(1) A3, Dc = 8.889(3) g cm−3; T = 1023 K, cubic, Fmm, a = 5.6277(4) A, U = 178.24(4) A3, Z = 2, Dc = 8.379(2) g cm−3.