Nanocrystalline rare earth stabilized zirconia: solvothermal synthesis via heterogeneous nucleation-growth mechanism, and electrical properties

Homogeneous nanocrystalline (ZrO2)(0.92) (RE2O3)(0.08) (RE = Y, Sc) with large specific surface areas and cubic structure were solvothermally synthesized from the urea coprecipitated (Zr, RE)- hydroxide gel or the gel-calcined oxide in water (or absolute ethanol) under mild conditions. Both the hydroxide and the oxide powders showed very high solvothermal reactivity. Mainly by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, the solvothermal mechanism was explored. The heterogeneous nucleation-growth, i.e. an in situ transformation of hydrous (Zr, RE)- oxide with an ordered cubic structure via dissolution and recrystallization is supposed to predominately account for the nanocrystalline crystallization. The as-obtained nanocrystallite exhibited a good sinterability. Over the temperature range of 360-600 degreesC, nanocrystalline (ZrO2)(0.92) (Y2O3)(0.08) displayed enhanced specific grain boundary conductivity due to the size-dependent grain boundary impurity segregation.http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000174550000029&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=8e1609b174ce4e31116a60747a720701Chemistry, PhysicalMaterials Science, MultidisciplinarySCI(E)25ARTICLE4970-9771