Effect of cation doping on ionic and electronic properties for lanthanum silicate-based solid electrolytes

Electronic as well as ionic conducting properties for oxyapatite-type solid electrolytes based on lanthanum silicate, La9.333 + xSi6O26 + 1.5x (LSO) were investigated in the oxygen-excess region (x > ca. 0.3). We have found that the oxygen excess-type LSO (OE-LSO), namely La10Si6O27 on weighted basis, exhibited high conductivity, and substitution of the Si-site of LSO with some dopants (Mn+) had a positive effect toward the conducting property. Furthermore, it was also found that addition of a very small amount of iron ions into the M-doped OE-LSO, La10(Si6-yMn+y)O27-(2–0.5n)y, improved its conductivity. On the other hand, replacement of the La-site with various ions for La10(Si6-yMn+y)O27-(2–0.5n)y did little to improve conductivity. The electronic transport numbers for Al-doped OE-LSO with Fe-addition, (1-α){La10(Si5.8Al0.2)O26.9}-α(FeOγ), evaluated with the Hebb–Wagner polarization method were very low: i.e., 1.1 × 10− 3 and 2.9 × 10− 3 under P(O2) = 1.1 × 104 Pa at 1073 K for α = 0.00 and 0.005, respectively. Conductivity for each sample was unchanged under humidified atmosphere at 1073 K sustained for over 50 h, revealing that both compositions were chemically stable. It was concluded that 0.995{La10(Si5.8Al0.2)O26.9}–0.005(FeOγ) is suitable for the fuel cell electrolytes because of its high and almost pure ionic conductivity, and its good chemical stability under humidified as well as reducing conditions.