Structure and ionic conduction enhancement mechanisms at CeO2/SrTiO3 heterointerfaces

Fluorite-perovskite heterointerfaces garner great interest for enhanced ionic conductivity for application in electronic and energy devices. However, the origin of observed enhanced ionic conductivity as well as the details of the atomic structure at these interfaces remain elusive. Here, systematic, multi-stoichiometry computational searches and experimental investigations are performed to obtain stable and exact atomic structures of interfaces between CeO2 and SrTiO3—two archetypes of the corresponding structural families. Local reconstructions take place at the interface because of mismatched lattices. TiO2 terminated SrTiO3 causes a buckled rock salt CeO interface layer to emerge. In contrast, SrO terminated SrTiO3 maintains the fluorite structure at the interface compensated by a partially occupied anion lattice. Moderate enhancement in oxygen diffusion is found along the interface by simulations, yet evidence to support further significant enhancement is lacking. Our findings demonstrate the control of interface termination as an effective pathway to achieve desired device performance.