PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Ba7Nb4MoO20-based materials with high oxygen-ion conductivity opening sustainable future

Ba7Nb4MoO20-based materials with high oxygen-ion conductivity opening sustainable future
2021-01-25
(Press-News.org) Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), Imperial and High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) Institute of Materials Structure Science, discover new Ba7Nb4MoO20-based materials with high oxygen-ion (oxide-ion O2-) conductivities--"the hexagonal perovskite-related oxides"--and shed light on the underlying mechanisms responsible for their conductivity. Their findings lead the way to uncovering other similar materials, furthering research on developing low-cost and scalable renewable energy technologies.

Over the past few years, fuel cells have become a focal point of research in eco-friendly technology because of their superior abilities to store and produce renewable energy and clean fuel. A typical type of fuel cell gaining ground is the oxide-ion-conducting fuel cell, which is primarily made of materials through which oxide ions (oxygen ions: O2-), can easily move. New materials with higher conductivity at low and intermediate temperatures, provide a number of advantages over commonly used fuel cells based on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes, such as higher power generation efficiency, longer lifetimes, and lower costs.

However, only a limited number of such materials are known and their application to developing fuel cells has largely remained at the laboratory scale. To truly achieve a sustainable energy economy, new oxide-ion conductors with high conductivity need to be discovered that can allow low-cost and efficient scaling up of these technologies.

Scientists from Tokyo Tech, Imperial and KEK set out to address this need, and in a recent study, identified a new oxide-ion-conducting material that may be a representative of an entire family of oxide-ion conductors.

The material in question has the chemical formula Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 and is classified as a "hexagonal perovskite-related oxide." Prof Masatomo Yashima, who led the study, explains: "Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 shows a wide stability range and predominantly oxide-ion conduction in the oxygen partial pressure range from 2x10-26 to 1 atm. Surprisingly, bulk conductivity of Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05, 5.8 × 10-4 S/cm, is remarkably high at 310 °C, and higher than bismuth oxide- and zirconia-based materials (Fig. 1)."* Prof Stephen Skinner comments that the fast oxide ion transport was unambiguously confirmed using the 18O tracer diffusion technique at Imperial.

Prof Yashima and his team note that the crystal structure of Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 contains oxygen-deficient layers (c' in Fig. 2a and Fig. 2c) and that its high oxide-ion conductivity is attributable to the oxide-ion migration on the c' layers. In fact, they succeed in experimental visualization of O1-O5 oxide-ion diffusion pathways by the neutron-diffraction measurements at a high temperature 800 oC with SuperHRPD diffractometer of Prof Takashi Kamiyama's group at KEK/J-PARC (Figs. 2b,d). Prof Yashima says that the oxide ions migrate via interstitialcy diffusion mechanism through interstitial octahedral O5 and lattice tetrahedral O1 oxygen sites and that the (tetrahedral)-(octahedral) diffusion pathways on the c' layer in Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 is the same as those in another hexagonal perovskite-related oxide Ba3MoNbO8.5-δ. Therefore, Prof Yashima and his team claim that "The common feature of the diffusion mechanism would be a guide for design of oxide-ion conductors with the hexagonal perovskite related structures and that the present finding of high oxide-ion conductivities in rare-earth-free Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 suggests the ability of various hexagonal perovskite related oxides as superior oxide-ion conductors".*

Prof Yashima and his team note that the crystal structure of Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 contains oxygen-deficient layers (c' in Fig. 2a and Fig. 2c) and that its high oxide-ion conductivity is attributable to the oxide-ion migration on the c' layers. In fact, they succeed in experimental visualization of O1-O5 oxide-ion diffusion pathways by the neutron-diffraction measurements at a high temperature 800 °C with SuperHRPD diffractometer of Prof Takashi Kamiyama's group at KEK/J-PARC (Figs. 2b,d). Prof Yashima says that the oxide ions migrate via interstitialcy diffusion mechanism through interstitial octahedral O5 and lattice tetrahedral O1 oxygen sites and that the (tetrahedral)-(octahedral) diffusion pathways on the c' layer in Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 is the same as those in another hexagonal perovskite-related oxide Ba3MoNbO8.5-δ. Therefore, Prof Yashima and his team claim that "The common feature of the diffusion mechanism would be a guide for design of oxide-ion conductors with the hexagonal perovskite related structures and that the present finding of high oxide-ion conductivities in rare-earth-free Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 suggests the ability of various hexagonal perovskite related oxides as superior oxide-ion conductors".*

Prof Yashima and his team note that the crystal structure of Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 contains oxygen-deficient layers (c' in Fig. 2a and Fig. 2c) and that its high oxide-ion conductivity is attributable to the oxide-ion migration on the c' layers. In fact, they succeed in experimental visualization of O1-O5 oxide-ion diffusion pathways by the neutron-diffraction measurements at a high temperature 800 °C with SuperHRPD diffractometer of Prof Takashi Kamiyama's group at KEK/J-PARC (Figs. 2b,d). Prof Yashima says that the oxide ions migrate via interstitialcy diffusion mechanism through interstitial octahedral O5 and lattice tetrahedral O1 oxygen sites and that the (tetrahedral)-(octahedral) diffusion pathways on the c' layer in Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 is the same as those in another hexagonal perovskite-related oxide Ba3MoNbO8.5-δ. Therefore, Prof Yashima and his team claim that "The common feature of the diffusion mechanism would be a guide for design of oxide-ion conductors with the hexagonal perovskite related structures and that the present finding of high oxide-ion conductivities in rare-earth-free Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 suggests the ability of various hexagonal perovskite related oxides as superior oxide-ion conductors".*

Prof Yashima and his team note that the crystal structure of Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 contains oxygen-deficient layers (c' in Fig. 2a and Fig. 2c) and that its high oxide-ion conductivity is attributable to the oxide-ion migration on the c' layers. In fact, they succeed in experimental visualization of O1-O5 oxide-ion diffusion pathways by the neutron-diffraction measurements at a high temperature 800 °C with SuperHRPD diffractometer of Prof Takashi Kamiyama's group at KEK/J-PARC (Figs. 2b,d). Prof Yashima says that the oxide ions migrate via interstitialcy diffusion mechanism through interstitial octahedral O5 and lattice tetrahedral O1 oxygen sites and that the (tetrahedral)-(octahedral) diffusion pathways on the c' layer in Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 is the same as those in another hexagonal perovskite-related oxide Ba3MoNbO8.5-δ. Therefore, Prof Yashima and his team claim that "The common feature of the diffusion mechanism would be a guide for design of oxide-ion conductors with the hexagonal perovskite related structures and that the present finding of high oxide-ion conductivities in rare-earth-free Ba7Nb3.9Mo1.1O20.05 suggests the ability of various hexagonal perovskite related oxides as superior oxide-ion conductors".*

INFORMATION:

About Tokyo Institute of Technology Tokyo Tech stands at the forefront of research and higher education as the leading university for science and technology in Japan. Tokyo Tech researchers excel in fields ranging from materials science to biology, computer science, and physics. Founded in 1881, Tokyo Tech hosts over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students per year, who develop into scientific leaders and some of the most sought-after engineers in industry. Embodying the Japanese philosophy of "monotsukuri," meaning "technical ingenuity and innovation," the Tokyo Tech community strives to contribute to society through high-impact research. https://www.titech.ac.jp/english/

About High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) KEK was established to promote various types of researches as a center of excellence for overall development of Japan's accelerator science (particle and nuclear research using high energy accelerators, research on the structure/function of materials including living organisms, research on improving the accelerator performance, and related basic technologies). As the Inter-University Research Institute Corporation, KEK provides researchers across the country and abroad with opportunities for research. With the Tsukuba and Tokai campuses as centers for excellence, KEK joins international collaboration experiments and developments. In addition, KEK is in charge of the School of High Energy Accelerator Science of the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI). https://www.kek.jp/en/

About Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) J-PARC is a high intensity proton accelerator facility, and it aims at the frontier in materials and life sciences, nuclear and particle physics. It is a joint project between KEK and Japan Atomic Energy Agency. SuperHRPD is installed at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) of J-PARC. https://j-parc.jp/c/en/index.html


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Ba7Nb4MoO20-based materials with high oxygen-ion conductivity opening sustainable future

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

White turns into (extreme-)ultraviolet

White turns into (extreme-)ultraviolet
2021-01-25
Researchers from the Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI) have developed a new method to modify the spectral width of extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) light. By employing a novel phase-matching scheme in four-wave mixing, they could compress the spectral width of the initial broadband light by more than hundred times. The detailed experimental and theoretical results have been published in Nature Photonics. Light, as emitted by the sun, consists of many different colors and typically appears as white. Sometimes, however, only certain colors reach our eyes, leading to stunning phenomena like an afterglow. For technical or scientific applications that require a specific color, gratings and prisms can be used to extract this color ...

Association of smoking with COVID-19 outcomes

2021-01-25
What The Study Did: The results of this study suggest that cumulative exposure to cigarette smoke is an independent risk factor for hospital admission and death from COVID-19. Authors: Katherine E. Lowe, M.Sc., of the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.8360) Editor's Note: The article includes conflicts of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for ...

Seasonal respiratory virus activity before, after statewide COVID-19 shelter-in-place order in Northern California

2021-01-25
What The Study Did: The association of a shelter-in-place order with lower rates of seasonal respiratory viral activity was examined in this study. Authors: Elizabeth Partridge, M.D., of the University of California at Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study:  Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.35281) Editor's Note: The article includes conflict of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support. INFORMATION: Media ...

Novel molecules to combat asthma and covid-related lung diseases discovered

2021-01-25
A study designed to study how the immune system impacts gut bacteria - has led to the extraordinary discovery of two molecules that can not only provide profound protection in experimental models of asthma but can also substantially reduce the severity of an attack. Neither of these molecules, one of which is already commercially available as a dietary supplement, were previously known to have an effect on asthma - and they also appear, from animal studies, to have a role in treating the respiratory illness that is prevalent, and often fatal, in people with serious COVID-19. The researchers aim to test one of the molecules in a clinical trial in 2021 in asthmatics. As further evidence that these two molecules ...

Princeton team advances new route to chemically recyclable plastics

Princeton team advances new route to chemically recyclable plastics
2021-01-25
As the planet's burden of rubber and plastic trash rises unabated, scientists increasingly look to the promise of closed-loop recycling to reduce waste. A team of researchers at Princeton's Department of Chemistry announces the discovery of a new polybutadiene molecule - from a material known for over a century and used to make common products like tires and shoes - that could one day advance this goal through depolymerization. The Chirik lab reports in Nature Chemistry that during polymerization the molecule, named (1,n'-divinyl)oligocyclobutane, enchains in a repeating sequence of squares, a previously ...

Competition among human females likely contributed to concealed ovulation

2021-01-25
Human females rely on aids like charting, test strips or wearable tech to identify periods of fertility. Some animals, like baboons, undergo obvious physical changes during ovulation. How did fertility become so hard to detect in humans? For nearly half a century, the evolution of concealed ovulation in human females has been explained as useful for securing male partners to help raise and support children. A END ...

When galaxies collide

2021-01-25
It was previously thought that collisions between galaxies would necessarily add to the activity of the massive black holes at their centers. However, researchers have performed the most accurate simulations of a range of collision scenarios and have found that some collisions can reduce the activity of their central black holes. The reason is that certain head-on collisions may in fact clear the galactic nuclei of the matter which would otherwise fuel the black holes contained within. When you think about gargantuan phenomena such as the collision of galaxies, it might be tempting to imagine it as some sort of cosmic cataclysm, with stars crashing and exploding, and destruction on an epic scale. ...

Genetic breakthrough to target care for deadly heart condition

2021-01-25
New genetic faults discovered in people with a heart condition that is sometimes inherited in families could transform the diagnosis and treatment of the hidden disease, according to research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and published in Nature Genetics. Researchers have found a new type of genetic change in the DNA of people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) - a silent killer amongst families that can cause sudden death in young people due to the thickening of the heart muscle. This ground-breaking discovery, which may be the biggest advance in our knowledge of the genetic basis of the ...

Advanced measurement technology for future semiconductor devices

Advanced measurement technology for future semiconductor devices
2021-01-25
1. Key points of the work - An emerging semiconductor for future power devices, beta-gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3), was investigated using a technique called transmission terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) for the first time - The findings on the fundamental properties of β-Ga2O3 at THz frequencies are significant to the development of this semiconductor's power electronic applications - THz-TDS can be used as a noninvasive tool for the evaluation of electrical properties instead of conventional electrical measurements that degrade the semiconductor quality 2. Overview of the work The β-Ga2O3 ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) ...

Fighting cancer from a chair

2021-01-25
Cisplatin has been used to treat cancer since the 1970s. Since then, many other platinum-containing cytostatic drugs have been developed, such as triplatinNC, a highly charged complex that contains three ligand-bridged platinum atoms. Unlike cisplatin, this drug also directly inhibits metastasis. The reason for this seems to be modulation of the geometry of a sugar component of heparan sulfate, an important component of the extracellular matrix, reports a research team in the journal Angewandte Chemie. Heparan sulfate, a glycosaminoglycan, is a chain of ring-shaped sugar molecules. It is involved in many regulatory processes, as well as in the growth and metastasis of tumors. In order for ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people

Discovery of bacteria's defence against viruses becomes a piece of the puzzle against resistance

Pre-eclampsia is associated with earlier onset and higher incidence of cardiovascular risk factors

Warwick astronomers discover doomed pair of spiralling stars on our cosmic doorstep

Soil conditions significantly increase rainfall in world’s megastorm hotspots

NK cells complexed with bispecific antibody yield high response rates in patients with lymphoma

Planetary health diet and mediterranean diet associated with similar survival and sustainability benefits

Singapore launches national standard to validate antimicrobial disinfectant products

Molecular stool test could improve detection of tuberculosis in adults with HIV

Suspected fibrocartilaginous embolus in Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus)

Enhancing heat transfer using the turbulent flow of viscoelastic fluids

Exercise as an anti-ageing intervention to avoid detrimental impact of mental fatigue

UMass Amherst Nursing Professor Emerita honored as ‘Living Legend’

New guidelines aim to improve cystic fibrosis screening

Picky eaters by day, buffet by night: Butterfly, moth diets sync to plant aromas

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Leanne Redman honored with the E. V. McCollum Award from the American Society for Nutrition

CCNY physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves

Researchers’ 3D-printing formula may transform future of foam

Nurture more important than nature for robotic hand

Drug-delivering aptamers target leukemia stem cells for one-two knockout punch

New study finds that over 95% of sponsored influencer posts on Twitter were not disclosed

New sea grant report helps great lakes fish farmers navigate aquaculture regulations

Strain “trick” improves perovskite solar cells’ efficiency

How GPS helps older drivers stay on the roads

Estrogen and progesterone stimulate the body to make opioids

Dancing with the cells – how acoustically levitating a diamond led to a breakthrough in biotech automation

Machine learning helps construct an evolutionary timeline of bacteria

Cellular regulator of mRNA vaccine revealed... offering new therapeutic options

Animal behavioral diversity at risk in the face of declining biodiversity

Finding their way: GPS ignites independence in older adult drivers

[Press-News.org] Ba7Nb4MoO20-based materials with high oxygen-ion conductivity opening sustainable future