Temperature dependent conductivity and structural properties of sol-gel prepared holmium doped Bi2O3 nanoceramic powder

Holmium (Ho)-doped Bi2O3 nanoceramic powders derived from sol gel method have been studied in terms of structural, morphological, and electrical properties. The morphology of the nanoceramic materials was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and their structure by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Temperature dependence of DC conductivity measurements of nanoceramic powders were carried out by using DC four-point probe technique (4PPT) in air at temperatures ranging from 702 to 1169 K. Electrical conductivity results demonstrate that there is a sharp increase at around 973 K, which indicates an existence of order-disorder transition. This result supported by the Differential Thermal Analyzer (DTA) curve and XRD pattern which show that the sample has stable high oxygen ionic conductivity fluorite type face centered cubic delta-phase. Electrical characteristics also show that the DC conductivity in the studied materials obeys Arrhenius relation with different activation energies and conduction mechanisms: two temperature regions with activation energies E-a1 = 1.40 eV (702-993 K) and E-a2 = 0.66 eV (1006-1169 K). The analysis of experimental data revealed that the translation motion of the charge carrier, oxygen vacancies, and space charge polarization are responsible for the change in activation energy as a function of temperature. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.