A superionic conducting phase in Cd-substituted CsAg2I3

Samples of general formula CsAg2−2xCdxI3, x = 0 – 0.4 , have been prepared and studied using powder X-ray diffraction, DSC, and electrical conductivity measurements. Room temperature X-ray diffractograms showed the presence of the orthorhombic phase as a single phase in the pure CsAg2I3 and as the prominent phase in Cd-substituted samples. DSC confirmed the existence of a phase transition at 397 K with no appreciable effect of substitution on this temperature. The ionic conductivity as a function of temperature showed that the high temperature phases in Cd-substituted samples are superionic with conductivity reaching ∼0.002 S cm−1.