Structural disorder and ionic conduction: The case of Bi2O3

The structural aspects of the ionic conduction properties of Bi2O3 are analyzed with a model based on the search of the common features in the X-ray diffraction pattern of the Bi2O3 phases. Within this model, which allows one to point out similarities in the metal sublattice distributions, static disorder effects are introduced and the alpha to beta and beta to delta phase transitions are described in terms of order-disorder transformations in the cation and anion sublattices, respectively, This finding makes it possible to outline, in parallel with previous results on ZrO2, possible conditions for obtaining high-temperature oxygen-ion conductors. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.