Synthesis and characterization of a novel bismuth-molybdenum oxide and study of its ionic conducting behavior

A wet chemistry method applied to the synthesis of bismuth-molybdenum oxides leads to the low temperature synthesis of a new phase with composition Bi10Mo3O24. The crystal data have been determined by ab initio indexing of the powder pattern. It crystallizes in the monoclinic system, with unit-cell parameters a = 23.7235(4), b = 5.64720(8), c = 8.6798(1) angstrom, beta = 95.879(1)degrees and V = 1156.73 angstrom(3). A preliminary heavy-atom skeleton related to the fluorite structure allowed us to postulate a layer structure with composition [Bi10O12](n) [MoO4](3n): This compound has been processed by spark plasma sintering as a ceramic material, exhibiting good ionic conductor properties in the whole temperature range of stability. (c) 2005 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.