A determination of the oxygen non-stoichiometry of the oxygen storage materials LnBaMn2O5+δ (Ln=Gd, Pr)

Abstract

The A-site ordered double-perovskite oxides, LnBaMn2O5+δ (Ln=Gd, Pr), were synthesized and investigated to understand the effect of A site cation substitution on the oxygen storage properties of these materials. The present results are compared with our previous data for YBaMn2O5+δ. The results clearly reveal that changing the Ln cation strongly influences the oxidation/reduction behavior of LnBaMn2O5+δ. Based on thermogravimetric analysis data, oxygen uptake begins at lower temperatures in both air and oxygen in compounds with Ln3+ ions larger than Y3+. These oxides exhibit almost complete and reversible oxygen uptake/release between fully-reduced LnBaMn2O5 and fully-oxidized LnBaMn2O6 during changes of the oxygen partial pressure between air and 1.99% H2/Ar. In addition, the oxygen non-stoichiometries of GdBaMn2O5+δ and PrBaMn2O5+δ were determined as a function of pO2 at 600, 650, 700 and 750°C by Coulometric titration at near-equilibrium conditions. The results confirm that these materials have two distinct phases on oxidation/reduction with δ≈0, 0.5 and a third phase with a range of composition with an oxygen content (5+δ) approaching ~6. The stabilities of the LnBaMn2O5+δ phases extend over a wide range of oxygen partial pressures (∼10−25≤pO2 (atm)≤∼1) depending on temperature. Isothermal experiments show that the larger the Ln3+ cation the lower pO2 for phase conversion. At some temperatures and pO2 conditions, the LnBaMn2O5+δ compounds are unstable with respect to decomposition to BaMnO3−δ and LnMnO3. This instability is more apparent in Coulometric titration experiments than in thermogravimetric analysis. The Coulometric titration experiments are necessarily slow in order to achieve equilibrium oxygen compositions.