Influencing factors for the migration of zinc ions in metal oxide powders

Metal oxides can be doped by various metal ions to tune the properties. While the migration of metal ions especially extrinsic metal ions in metal oxides still needs to be clarified in order to adjust the composition and the structure of metal oxides properly. Here, 14 kinds of metal oxide powders were utilized to investigate the key factors of Zn ion migration in metal oxide powders experimentally. Results show that chemical reactions and/or phase transitions in metal oxides can hinder the migration of Zn ions in metal oxide powders. Compared with unstable metal oxides, it is easier for Zn ions to pass through stable metal oxides which maintain the same component phases at elevated temperatures. Transition from unstable metal oxide medium to stable metal oxide medium will make the transport of Zn ions in the medium from impossible to possible. These findings are helpful for selecting proper metal oxides in related industries such as battery designing, gas sensor development and so on.