Phase transition studies in BIMEVOX solid electrolytes using AC impedance spectroscopy

The use of Arrhenius plots of total conductivity derived from ac impedance spectroscopy measurements in characterisation of phase transitions is discussed with reference to Bi4V2O11−δ and the BIMEVOX family of oxide ion-conducting solid electrolytes. The technique is shown to be superior in some cases to standard laboratory methods such as thermal analysis and variable temperature X-ray diffraction. Examples include the identification of the metastable intermediate ε-Bi4V2O11−δ, β-phase stability in BIMGVOX and a kinetic study of the γ → γ’ transition in BIZNVOX.