Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 March 2011
Diffusion and ionic conduction in nanocrystalline ceramics, both monophase and composite, was studied by NMR relaxation and NMR lineshape as well as impedance spectroscopy. Measurements were mainly done on Li ion conductors prepared by high-energy ball milling. It was possible to discriminate between mobile ions in the interfacial regions and immobile ions in the grains. In general the diffusivity and conductivity are enhanced in the nanocrystalline monophase system as compared to the microcrystalline one, e. g. by about four orders of magnitude in the case of CaF2. An exception is, e. g., Li2O where the nano- and microcrystalline forms have similar conductivities. However, when the nanocrystalline insulator B2O3 is added to nanocrystalline Li2O the conductivity of the composite increases whereas it decreases in the corresponding microcrystalline system.