Preparation, structure and conductivity of Sn modified NASICON material

The samples of tin (Sn) modified NASICON (Na3Zr2Si2PO12) type solid electrolyte are prepared and their electrical properties are investigated. The two modified compositions of NASICON in which zirconium (Zr) atoms are replaced by Sn atoms i.e., Na3ZrSnSi2PO12 (NASN) and Na3Sn2Si2PO12 (NASN2), are prepared by solid state reaction technique. The structural studies show variation in the lattice parameters a and c which enhance the bottle neck size. The FT-IR results also confirm structural modification (stretching of bond lengths) on addition of Sn. The electrical studies show when one atom of Zr is replaced by one atom of Sn (NASN), both DC and AC electrical conductivities increase as compared to unmodified NASICON material while for replacement of both the Zr atoms by Sn atoms (NASN2), the electrical conductivity decreases.