Study of the effect of methods for liquid-phase synthesis of nanopowders on the structure and physicochemical properties of ceramics in the CeO2–Y2O3 system

Abstract

Two alternative chemical synthesis methods—cryotechnological coprecipitation of hydroxides and cocrystallization of salts—were used for preparing (CeO₂)_1–x(Y₂O₃)_x nanopowders (x = 0.10, 0.15, 0.20) with a mean coherent scattering domain size of ~7–11 nm and S_sp = 2.1–97.5 m²/g. From these nanopowders, ceramic nanomaterials with mean coherent scattering domain sizes of ~61–85 nm were synthesized. It was studied how the phase composition, microstructure, and electrical transport properties of the produced samples depend on the Y₂O₃ content of a CeO₂-based solid solution and on the synthesis method. It was shown that, in the series (CeO₂)_1–x(Y₂O₃)_x (x = 0.10, 0.15, 0.20), the solid solution (CeO₂)_0.90(Y₂O₃)_0.10 has the highest ionic conductivity with the ion transport number t_i = 0.73 (600°C). In its physicochemical characteristics, this ceramic can be used as a solid electrolyte of intermediate-temperature fuel cells.