Published in

De Gruyter, Zeitschrift für Kristallographie - Crystalline Materials, 3(231), p. 189-193, 2015

DOI: 10.1515/zkri-2015-1896

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Single-crystal neutron diffraction on γ-LiAlO2: structure determination and estimation of lithium diffusion pathway

This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

Full text: Download

Red circle
Preprint: archiving forbidden
Red circle
Postprint: archiving forbidden
Orange circle
Published version: archiving restricted
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Abstract γ-Lithium aluminum oxide is a paradigmatic example of an ultraslow lithium ion conductor. This characteristic plays a crucial role in its proposed and actual applications. Herein, we report on the outcome of single-crystal neutron diffraction studies at ambient and high temperature. Careful evaluation confirms the commonly assumed room-temperature structure as derived by powder neutron diffraction in 1965. At 1043 K, a split of the lithium position hints at the onset of intrinsic diffusion. Analysis of the negative scattering-length density using the maximum-entropy method (MEM) indicates a preference for a strongly curved diffusion pathway traversing octahedral voids between adjacent lithium sites. These results help to understand ultraslow lithium diffusion in well-ordered ionic solids on the microscopic scale and, ultimately, to establish structure–property relationships.