Extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and x-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy study of aliovalent doped ceria to correlate local structural changes with oxygen vacancies clustering

This study provides atomic scale insight to understand the role of aliovalent dopants on oxygen vacancies clustering and dissociation mechanism in ceria system in order to enhance the performance of oxy-ion conductor. Dopants induced microscale changes in ceria are probed by extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near edge spectra, and Raman spectroscopy. The results are explored to establish a correlation between atomic level structural changes (coordination number, interatomic spacing) → formation of dimer and trimer type cation-oxygen vacancies defect complex (intrinsic and extrinsic) → dissociation of oxygen vacancies from defect cluster → ionic conductivity temperature. It is a strategic approach to understand key physics of ionic conductivity mechanism in order to reduce operating temperature of electrolytes for intermediate temperature (300–450 °C) electrochemical devices for the first time.