Probing the Effects of Heat Treatment Atmosphere on the Structural and Electrical Properties of NBT via Eu Photoluminescence

Abstract

The effect of oxygen partial pressure during the pre-calcination step (high vacuum, air, nitrogen, and oxygen) on the crystal structure, microstructure, and electrical properties of Na0.5Bi0.465Sr0.02Eu0.005TiO3 oxide-ion-conducting ceramics was systematically investigated. Dense ceramic samples were prepared by a conventional solid-state reaction route under different atmospheres. The results show that the oxygen partial pressure strongly affects Bi volatilization, grain growth, and oxygen-vacancy concentration. The largest average grain size was obtained for the nitrogentreated sample, whereas the oxygen-treated sample exhibited the finest grains but the highest grain-boundary conductivity. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy indicate that low oxygen partial pressure enhances structural disorder, while high oxygen partial pressure stabilizes the lattice and promotes charge-transfer transitions. Eu3+ photoluminescence further reveals the correlation between local structural evolution and oxygen-vacancy concentration. These findings clarify how oxygen partial pressure regulates grain-boundary behavior and ion-transport mechanisms in NBT-based oxide-ion conductors, providing guidance for optimizing the total conductivity of polycrystalline electrolytes.