Synthesis, Structure, and Ionic Conductivity of K3NdSi6O15

Abstract

AbstractA structure earlier reported for K3NdSi6O15 suggests the possibility for fast—ion conduction by virtue of K+ ions which not only reside in connected channels, but which also display very large thermal vibration amplitudes. No properties of the phase had heretofore been examined. Crystals up to 2mm inlength have been synthesized under a variety of hydrothermal conditions. Refinement of the structure with single crystal x-ray data to a residual of 8.3% confirms the composition and structure of our crystals and reveals a very high thermal vibration amplitude along c for K+ ions which reside in interconnected [001] channels.A reversible phase transformation has been discovered at 180ºC with a heat of transformation of 4J/g. Preliminary measurements of the conductivity of the high temperature phase yield a preexponential factor of 3.4/cm and an activation energy of 0.61ev along [001], indicating that this compound is not a particularly good fast—ion conductor.