First‐principles prediction of fast migration channels of potassium ions in KAlSi3O8 hollandite: Implications for high conductivity anomalies in subduction zones
详细信息 查看全文
文摘
Materials sharing the hollandite structure were widely reported as fast ionic conductors. However, the ionic conductivity of KAlSi3O8 hollandite (K-hollandite), which can be formed during the subduction process, has not been investigated so far. Here first-principles calculations are used to investigate the potassium ion (K+) transport properties in K-hollandite. The calculated K+ migration barrier energy is 0.44 eV at a pressure of 10 GPa, an energy quite small to block the K+ migration in K-hollandite channels. The calculated ionic conductivity of K-hollandite is highly anisotropic and depends on its concentration of K+ vacancies. About 6% K+ vacancies in K-hollandite can lead to a higher conductivity compared to the conductivity of hydrated wadsleyite and ringwoodite in the mantle. K+ vacancies being commonly found in many K-hollandite samples with maximum vacancies over 30%, the formation of K-hollandite during subduction of continental or alkali-rich oceanic crust can contribute to the high conductivity anomalies observed in subduction zones.