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Which ceramic electrolyte conducts sodium and silver ions in batteries?
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conductive ceramics
Figure 1: Schematic diagram of a zirconia oxygen sensor used to monitor automobile exhaust gases. The sensor, approximately the size of a spark plug, is fitted into the exhaust manifold of an automobile engine. The thimble-shaped zirconia sensor, sandwiched between thin layers of porous platinum, is exposed on its interior to outside air and on its exterior to exhaust gas passing through slits in the sensor shield. The two platinum surfaces serve as electrodes, conducting a voltage across the zirconia that varies according to the difference in oxygen content between the exhaust gas and the outside air.
The ceramic electrolyte that conducts both sodium () and silver () ions is -alumina (beta-alumina).1
This material is characterized by a complex crystal structure featuring conduction planes that allow for the rapid migration of monovalent cations. Because of these properties, -alumina is utilized as a solid electrolyte in high-energy-density batteries, such as the sodium-sulfur storage battery. While silver ions exhibit the highest ionic conductivity within this structure, the material is most notably associated with sodium-based battery applications.21