Effects of ion irradiation on H2O and CO2 absorption and desorption characteristics of Li2ZrO3 and Pt-coated Li2ZrO3

The effects of irradiation with 10 keV D2+ ions on the hydrogen and water absorption and desorption characteristics of Li2ZrO3 and platinum-coated Li2ZrO3 (Pt-Li2ZrO3) were investigated by employing elastic recoil detection (ERD), weight gain measurement (WGM), and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). WGM and ERD results indicated that the amounts of H and H2O absorbed into the ion irradiated bulk Li2ZrO3 and Pt-Li2ZrO3 samples in air at room temperature increased up to ∼2-3 times, as compared with those of the unirradiated ones. TDS examinations revealed that the amounts of hydrogen molecules (H2) and H2O released from the unirradiated Pt-Li2ZrO3 and ion irradiated Li2ZrO3 and Pt-Li2ZrO3 were approximately one order of magnitude higher than those of unirradiated Li2ZrO3. Li segregation, ion-induced oxygen deficiency, as well as Pt deposition significantly enhance the splitting of H2O, eventually increasing the amounts of H accumulated in the bulk Li2ZrO3 and the H2 release.