RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN BETA''-ALUMINA

The multivalent beta double prime -aluminas are the first family of high conductivity solid electrolytes for divalent and trivalent cations. The rich ion exchange chemistry of these materials leads to a variety of chemical environments within the conduction plane which consequently influence their ion transport and optical properties. This paper reviews some of the pertinent structural aspects of the multivalent beta double prime -aluminas and considers the properties of selected systems which contain either mixed ions or ions with two valence states within the conduction plane. The results indicate that the multivalent exchanged beta double prime -aluminas are excellent materials for studying the effects of ion/lattice and ion/ion interactions in 2-dimensional systems.