Structural and electrical characteristics of Bi2YZrVO9 ceramic

A new bismuth based layered structure compound, Bi2YZrVO9, synthesized by the mixed oxide reaction method, is found to crystallize in the orthorhombic crystal system. The characteristic Nyquist plots suggest the contribution of only grains to the electrical properties up to 400 degrees C and both grains and grain boundaries at higher temperatures. Based on impedance spectroscopy data and complex permittivity plot, the Cole-Cole model was used to analyze the contributions of grains and grain boundaries to the resistive and capacitive properties of the material. Analysis of electrical conductivity, using Jonscher's power law, suggests the correlated barrier hopping being the dominant conduction mechanism in the compound. The activation energy for the conduction process in the range of 0.97 eV-0.75 eV corresponding to the frequency range 1 kHz-1 MHz suggest the role of oxygen vacancies in the conduction process.