H/D Isotope Effect for Solubility of Hydrogen in Doped Perovskites

A novel method for studying the H/D isotope separation effect in the nonstoichiometric oxide-gas system is suggested. The theoretical scheme of this method is represented for doped perovskites of the ABO(3) family, but this approach is also applicable to other compounds where the solubility of hydrogen is determined by the content of oxygen vacancies. The suggested approach is used to determine the H/D isotope effect in hydrogen solubility from the experimental data for proton-conducting oxides. The measurements have been taken using the nuclear microanalysis of fine-grain BaZr0.9Y0.1O3-y powders. The method is based on the study of the products of the 2H(d, p)H-3 nuclear reaction. The observed pronounced isotope effect is in quantitative agreement with our theoretical predictions.