Effect of thermal treatment on the phase structure and electrical properties of Ce<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">_x</i>Gd_{1-<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">x</i>}O_2-_{<span style="font-family:Symbol;mso-ascii-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol" lang="EN-GB">d</span>} electrolytes

Abstract

1513-1519A series of Ce<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">xGd1-xO2-d electrolytes has been prepared by typical and improved sol-gel methods with different thermal treatment conditions. The Ce<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">xGd1-xO2-d phase structures have been characterized by XRD and Raman spectroscopy, and the electrolytes properties studied by the AC impedance spectroscopy. It is found that the improved sol-gel method is beneficial for the formation of CeO2-based or Gd2O3-based solid solutions and consequently oxygen vacancies, through which the electrolytes can absorb and desorb oxygen continuously, resulting in improved electrical conductivity. Amongst the studied electrolytes, the Ce0.6Gd0.4O2-d-A electrolyte prepared by typical method and the Ce0.6Gd0.4O2-d-N electrolyte prepared by improved method show the highest electrical conductivity