The di-substituted bismuth oxide based oxide ion conducting electrolyte system Bi 2.5+x Pb 0.5 YO 5.75+3x/2-δ (x = 0, 1 and 2) has been investigated by X-ray powder diffraction, a.c. impedance spectroscopy, thermal analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. δ-Bi 2 O 3 type phases are observed for all compositions studied and showed no obvious changes in structure up to 850°C. Results from thermal analysis, and the thermal variation of the lattice parameter indicate a small degree of reduction occurs at high temperature, which is preserved on quenching. XPS results suggest this involves reduction of bismuth and lead cations. This reduction is reversed on heating at intermediate temperatures. The redox reactions appear to be correlated to a degree of curvature in the Arrhenius plot of conductivity. Measurement of transference numbers indicate that these materials are predominantly ionic conductors, with conductivity values at high temperature comparable with mono-substituted analogues.
Bi 3 YO 6 , which is known as an ionic conductor, was tested here as an electrode and photoanode in contact with aqueous electrolytes. Bi 3 YO 6 was deposited onto the Pt substrate and the such prepared electrode was polarized in various aqueous electrolytes. The optical energy band gap of the material equal to 1.89 eV was determined using the Kubelka-Munk function resulting from the UV-Vis spectrum (allowed indirect transition) and also was calculated using the semi-empirical PM7 method (3.38 eV of HOMO-LUMO energy gap). Despite the yellow color of Bi 3 YO 6 , the tested material exhibits photoelectroactivity only in the UV range of electromagnetic radiation. The anodic photocurrent characteristic for n-type metal oxide semiconductors was recorded. The electrode exhibits diffusion-controlled cathodic activity while polarized in chloride-free aqueous electrolytes.
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