Synthesis of nanosized cubic lithium lanthanum zirconate fast ion conductor
Synthesizing lithium lanthanum zirconate includes combining a reagent composition with a salt composition to yield a molten salt reaction medium, wherein the reagent composition comprises a lithium component, a lanthanum component, and zirconium component having a lithium:lanthanum:zirconium molar ratio of about 7:3:2; heating the molten salt reaction medium to yield a reaction product; and washing the reaction product to yield a crystalline powder comprising lithium lanthanum zirconate.
1. A method of synthesizing lithium lanthanum zirconate, the method comprising:
combining a reagent composition with a salt composition to yield a salt reaction medium, wherein the reagent composition comprises a lithium component, a lanthanum component, and zirconium component having a lithium:lanthanum:zirconium molar ratio of about 7:3:2;
heating the salt reaction medium to yield a reaction product; and
washing the reaction product to yield a crystalline powder comprising lithium lanthanum zirconate,
wherein the salt composition is selected from the group consisting of one of the following mixtures:
a eutectic mixture of potassium chloride and lithium chloride,
a eutectic mixture of lithium carbonate, sodium carbonate, and potassium carbonate,
a eutectic mixture of lithium chloride and lithium hydroxide,
a eutectic mixture of lithium bromide and potassium bromide, and
a basic mixture of lithium nitrate, lithium peroxide, and lithium hydroxide in a molar ratio of 1:2:2.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium component comprises lithium nitrate, lithium hypochlorite, or both.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lanthanum component comprises lanthanum nitrate, lanthanum oxychloride, or both.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the zirconium component comprises zirconium oxide, zirconium oxynitrate, or both.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molten salt reaction medium comprises an extrinsic dopant.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the extrinsic dopant comprises aluminum, gallium, tantalum, tungsten, or any combination thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the salt reaction medium comprises a reagent composition: salt composition weight ratio of 1:1.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium lanthanum zirconate consists of cubic phase Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 .
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium lanthanum zirconate consists essentially of cubic phase Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 .
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium lanthanum zirconate is in the form of nanoparticles.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein a maximum dimension of the nanoparticles is less than 1000 nm.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the maximum dimension of the nanoparticles is between 300 nm and 500 nm.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein heating the molten salt reaction medium comprises heating to a temperature in a range of 700° C. to 1000° C.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein heating the molten salt reaction medium comprises heating for a length of time up to 12 hours.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising combining sodium fluoride with the salt reaction mixture.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the zirconium component comprises zirconium oxide nanoparticles.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein combining the reagent composition with the salt composition to yield the salt reaction medium comprises forming a mixture comprising the reagent composition and the salt composition and melting the mixture to yield the salt reaction medium.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the salt composition is a molten salt composition.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising melting the salt composition to yield the molten salt composition.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein heating the salt reaction medium comprises heating to a temperature in a range of 500° C. to 600° C.