A physical method for investigating defect chemistry in solid metal oxides

The investigation of the defect chemistry solid oxides is central importance for understanding redox processes. This can be performed by measuring conductivity as a function oxygen partial pressure, which conventionally established using buffer gas mixtures or pumps based on zirconia. However, this approach has some limitations, such difficulty regulating pressure in intermediate-pressure regions possibility influencing process gases that also incorporated into oxide react with surface via heterogeneous catalysis. Herein, we present an alternative physical method controlled dosing pure inside ultra-high vacuum chamber. To monitor under investigation, employ dedicated four-probe measurement system relies application very small AC voltage, combination lock-in data acquisition highly sensitive electrometers, minimizing electrochemical polarization electro-reduction and degradation effects. By analyzing model material SrTiO3, demonstrate its characteristic behavior reproduced good agreement theory when performing simultaneous electrical relaxation (ECR) high-temperature equilibrium (HTEC) measurements. We show use allows direct analysis dose, opens up various perspectives detailed