Li2O-ZnO-MoO3-SeO2 glass-nanocomposites and their crystalline counterparts: microstructure, electrical transport mechanism and first principle DFT analysis

Abstract

Li2O doped glass-nanocomposites and their crystalline counterparts have been developed. Micro-structural study reveals the distribution of Li2Zn2(MoO4)3, ZnMoO4, Zn(MoO2)2, Li2Mo6O7 and Li2MoO3 nanorods in the glass-nanocomposites. Crystalline counterparts of them exhibit enhancement in sizes of nanophases. DFT and Density of States (DOS) spectra may be considered here to confirm the conducting nature of these nanophases. The ionic conductivity is found to be a function of frequency as well as temperature. In the small value of frequency, flat-conductivity may arise owing to the diffusional motion of Li+ ions whereas the ‘higher frequency dispersion’ may cause the nature of the motion of lithium ions with a tendency of sub-diffusive random trapping. As the crystalline counterpart is formed by controlled heating, ZnSeO3 chain-structure is expected to break by increasing the length and breadth of molybdate rod-like structures, which may lead to the formation of more voids (defects), where Li+ ions are supposed to be trapped. 10%–13% of the net Li+ ions are contributing to electrical transport processes.