Structural and dynamic properties of LiNO3 + Al2O3 nanocomposites

• Published in: Physics of the solid state 2015-10, Vol.57 (10), p.2066-2072
• Main Authors: Gafurov, M. M., Rabadanov, K. Sh, Ataev, M. B., Amirov, A. M., Kubataev, Z. Yu, Kakagasanov, M. G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Phase Transitions; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Solid State Physics
• ISSN: 1063-7834; 1090-6460
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063783415100108

The structural and dynamic properties of lithium nitrate LiNO 3 and its heterogeneous composites with a nanopowder of aluminum oxide Al 2 O 3 at different temperatures, phase states, and concentrations of the Al 2 O 3 nanopowder have been investigated using Raman scattering, differential thermal analysis, and X-ray diffraction. It has been shown that, in the (1– x )LiNO 3 + x Al 2 O 3 composites, an amorphous phase (for x ≥ 0.5) is formed, whose thermal effect is observed at 185°C. The calculations of the dynamic characteristics of vibrations of the nitrate ion, as well as the differential thermal and X-ray diffraction analyses, have demonstrated that the nanocomposite can be represented as a highly disordered “quasilattice” in which “sites” are occupied by nanoparticles with amorphous lithium nitrate shells and spaces between them (conventionally “interstitial sites”) become channels of a facilitated flow of the ion current.