Sol-gel synthesis and room-temperature properties of α-LiZr2(PO4)3

The structural and electrical properties of alpha-LiZr2(PO4)(3) are studied at room temperature for the first time. A room-temperature stable alpha-LiZr2(PO4)(3) phase (R (3) over barc, a = 8.85196(4) angstrom and c = 22.1510(1) angstrom) is prepared by a modified sol-gel approach. The material exhibits a room-temperature (25 degrees C) total conductivity of 1.63 x 10(-6) Scm(-1) at a density of 76% of the theoretical density. A room-temperature bulk conductivity as high as 1.58 x 10(-4) Scm(-1) can be estimated from the impedance measurements. Conductivity measurements suggest that a nominal alpha -> alpha ' phase transition occurs below room-temperature (at about 16-18 degrees C). The activation energies for the conductivity of the alpha and alpha' phases are 0.39 and 0.99 eV, respectively (in the temperature range -20 to 100 degrees C).