Oxide Ion-Conducting Materials Containing Tetrahedral Moieties: Structures and Conduction Mechanisms

This Review presents an overview from the perspective of tetrahedral chemistry on various oxide ion-conducting materials containing tetrahedral moieties which have received continuous growing attention as candidates for key components of various devices, including solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen sensors, due to the deformation and rotation flexibility of tetrahedral units facilitating oxide ion transport. Emphasis is placed on the structural and mechanistic features of various systems ranging from crystalline to amorphous materials, which include a variety of gallates, silicates, germanates, molybdates, tungstates, vanadates, aluminates, niobate, titanates, indium oxides, and the newly reported borates. They contain tetrahedral units in either isolated or linked manners forming different polyhedral dimensionality (0 to 3) with various defect properties and transport mechanisms. The development of oxide ion conductors containing tetrahedral moieties and the elucidation of the roles of tetrahedral units in oxide ion migration have demonstrated diverse opportunities for discovering superior electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells and other related devices and provided useful clues for uncovering the key factors directing fast oxide ion conduction.