Electrical response of bivalent modifier cations into a vanadium–tellurite glassy matrix

Abstract In this work, we suggest an explanation of the electrical conductivity behavior of tellurite glassy systems modified with barium when transition metal oxides (V2O5-MoO3) present in the glassy matrix are replaced progressively by barium oxide. These glasses of formula x BaO (1 − x) (0.5V2O5 · 0.5MoO3) 2 TeO2 are obtained by the standard quenching technique and analyzed by means of impedance spectroscopy. We also report some structural results that explain the effect of the bivalent cation (Ba+ 2) on the electrical response in comparison to the effect of univalent cations on this kind of glassy matrix. The results confirm the existence of a transition from a typical hopping of small polarons response (when the content of BaO is low) to a weak ionic conductive response (when more than 50% of the transition metal oxides content has been replaced by BaO). The independent migration path is suggested by the observed electrical conductivity behavior. In this system, vanadium gives the active centers responsible for the polaron hopping mechanism while barium cations seem to be responsible for the ionic transport regimen.