Impact of palladium substitution for copper in Bi₂CuO₄ synthesized via sol-gel method

Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Materials: Catalysis and Environment, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of Oran, BP 1505, 31000 El-Mnaouer, Oran, Algeria

Corresponding author: sari-esma13@hotmail.com

Received: 21 May 2010
Revised: 17 October 2010
Accepted: 21 October 2010
Published online: 23 December 2010

Abstract

An extensive new solid solution was synthesized by substitution of Pd⁺² for Cu⁺² in Bi₂CuO₄ compound [J.-C. Boivin et al., C.R. Hebd. Seances Acad. Sci., Ser. C 276, 1105 (1973)]. Polycrystalline ceramic powder with formula Bi₂CuPd_xO₄ were prepared by sol-gel method using (Bi, Cu, Pd) nitrates and pure citric acid. X-ray patterns show a single phase with tetragonal symmetry and space group P₄/ncc (No. 130). In cases, the tetragonal cell c parameter and therefore the metal-metal distance (d_M-M = c/2) increases linearly with increasing palladium concentration. Electrical conductivity measurements show that the resistivity decreases regularly with pd²⁺ substitution. It is possible to obtain materials with an ambient temperature conductivity ranging from 10^-6 to 10^-3 S cm^-1.