Structure and properties of Fe2O3-doped 50Li2O-10B2O3-40P2O5 glass and glass-ceramic electrolytes

Fe2O3-doped 50Li(2)O-10B(2)O(3)-40P(2)O(5) glasses were prepared using conventional melt-quenching method. FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy show that the partial substitution of Fe2O3 has slight effect on the glass network structure. The thermal behavior of Fe2O3-doped borophosphate glasses was investigated by Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). The effects of partial substitution of Fe2O3 on the chemical stability and electrical properties of borophosphate glasses and glass-ceramics were investigated. The glass-ceramics obtained after nucleation at 450 degrees C for 10 h and crystallization at 560 degrees C for 8 h are crystallized completely and the main crystallized phase is Li4P2O7. With increase of Fe2O3 content, the diffraction peak intensity of Li4P2O7 crystal phase is gradually decreased, and the diffraction peak intensity of Li9Fe3P8O29 is gradually increased. The electrical conductivity (at room temperature) of the glass-ceramics with 4 mol% Fe2O3 reaches a maximum value of 1.09 x 10(-5) S/cm, which is about 10 times higher than that of the glass-ceramics without Fe2O3. Moreover, the glass-ceramics have a high chemical stability to water. The addition of Fe2O3 to 50Li(2)O-10B(2)O(3)-40P(2)O(5) glass-ceramics improves the ionic conductivity, which has a potential application as Li+ glass and glass-ceramic electrolyte materials.