Effect of Li+ addition on crystal structure and electrical conduction of highly defective La1/3NbO3 perovskite Original Research Article

The Li+ solubility, crystal structure and electrical properties of the Li3xLa1/3−xNbO3 solid solution with A-site deficient perovskite structure were examined using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and alternating current (AC) impedance technique. XRD and SEM results showed that the limit of the Li+ solubility in this solid solution was found to be within 25 at%. Over this limit, the second phase of LiNbO3 was observed. With increasing the Li+ content (3x), the crystal structure of La1/3NbO3 changed from orthorhombic via tetragonal to cubic symmetry. The AC impedance analysis showed that the characteristic of Li+ conduction was present in the Li3xLa1/3−xNbO3 solid solution and there was a maximum conductivity of 7.21×10−5 S cm−1 at 3x=0.05.