Impurities distribution in nanostructured zinc oxide films

Nanostructured conducting oxides are very promising for various applications like varistors (doped zinc oxide), electrolytes for the solid oxide fuel cells (ceria, zirconia, yttria), semi-permeable membranes and sensors (perovskite-type oxides). Grain boundary (GB) phases crucially determine the properties of nanograined-oxides. GB phase transformations (wetting, prewetting, pseudopartial wetting) proceed in the conducting oxides. Novel GB lines appear in the conventional bulk phase diagrams. They can be used for the tailoring of properties of nanograined-conducting oxides, particularly by using the novel synthesis method of liquid ceramics.

Authors thank the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grants 15-03-04220, 15-53-06008 and 15-33-70051)