Controlling Oxygen Mobility in Ruddlesden-Popper Oxides

Materials (Basel). 2017 Mar 31;10(4):368. doi: 10.3390/ma10040368.

Abstract

Discovering new energy materials is a key step toward satisfying the needs for next-generation energy conversion and storage devices. Among the various types of oxides, Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) oxides (A₂BO₄) are promising candidates for electrochemical energy devices, such as solid oxide fuel cells, owing to their attractive physicochemical properties, including the anisotropic nature of oxygen migration and controllable stoichiometry from oxygen excess to oxygen deficiency. Thus, understanding and controlling the kinetics of oxygen transport are essential for designing optimized materials to use in electrochemical energy devices. In this review, we first discuss the basic mechanisms of oxygen migration in RP oxides depending on oxygen nonstoichiometry. We then focus on the effect of changes in the defect concentration, crystallographic orientation, and strain on the oxygen migration in RP oxides. We also briefly review their thermal and chemical stability. Finally, we conclude with a perspective on potential research directions for future investigation to facilitate controlling oxygen ion migration in RP oxides.

Keywords: anisotropy; chemical expansion; layered perovskite oxides; mixed ionic and electronic conductors; oxygen diffusion; oxygen ion migration; perovskite oxides; ruddlesden-popper oxides; solid oxide fuel cells; thermal expansion coefficients.

Publication types

  • Review