Science Daily  September 9, 2022 Using a proton-conducting oxide as an electrolyte film in electrochemical devices introduces an interface, which thermally and chemically generates mechanical strain. To reduce the strain researchers in Japan focused on BZY20, which is a combination of yttrium, barium, zirconium, and oxygen atoms. They found that the atoms on the edges of this cube are 2% closer at the interface between the oxide and the surface than in layers far away from the surface. This compressive strain reduces the proton conductivity to nearly 1/100,000 of what it is in bulk samples. As the layers build up, […]