Fast Ion Conductor
In solid-state ionics, fast ion conductors, also known as solid electrolytes and superionic conductors, are materials that act as solid state ion conductors and are used primarily in solid oxide fuel cells. As solid electrolytes they conduct due to the movement of ions through voids, or empty crystallographic positions, in their crystal lattice structure. The most commonly used solid electrolyte is yttria-stabilized zirconia, YSZ. One component of the structure, the cation or anion, is essentially free to move throughout the structure, acting as charge carrier.
The important case of fast ionic conduction is one in a surface space-charge layer of ionic crystals. Such conduction was first predicted by Kurt Lehovec. As a space-charge layer has nanometer thickness, the effect is directly related to nanoionics (nanoionics-I). Lehovec's effect is used as a basis for developing nanomaterials for portable lithium batteries and fuel cells.
Fast ion conductors are intermediate in nature between crystalline solids which possess a regular structure with immobile ions, and liquid electrolytes which have no regular structure and fully mobile ions. Solid electrolytes find use in all solid state supercapacitors, batteries and fuel cells, and in various kinds of chemical sensors.
Read more about Fast Ion Conductor: Classification, Examples
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