Properties of sol–gel prepared BaCeO3 solid electrolyte using acetate precursors

A sol–gel route was used to prepare Yb-doped BaCeO3 at the relatively low temperature of 1,100 °C. At this calcination temperature, the carbonate residues were completely decomposed and the high crystallinity of Yb-doped BaCeO3 powders with orthorhombic structure was obtained. The loose particles in nanosized range was observed from scanning electron micrographs but agglomerates with size ranging from 200 to 500 nm seem to dominate the bulk powder. Density of the pellet sintered at 1,400 °C for 24 h was about 95% of the theoretical density. Morphology of the fractured pellet revealed that the diameter of grains was between 1 and 3 μm. AC electrical conductivity of the sample in wet air was carried out using impedance spectroscopy in the range of 1 Hz to 10 MHz. At 300 °C, it was found that at high frequencies the imaginary values of the impedance were positive. The effect was attributed to the presence of an inductive element in the experimental setup.