Speciation and diffusive dynamics in hydrated grain boundaries of complex oxide Gd2Ti2O7

Grain boundaries in polycrystalline materials significantly affect their properties, such as ionic transport, corrosion, and chemical durability. The pyrochlore compound (Gd₂Ti₂O₇) is employed as a model for complex oxides and is known for its diverse applications, including nuclear waste immobilization. Density functional theory-based first-principles molecular dynamics simulations were performed at different temperatures on the hydrated grain boundary system. The results show extensive transformations within the grain boundaries among hydrous water species (OH⁻, H₂O, and H₃O⁺). The temperature dependence of self-diffusion coefficients follows Arrhenius behavior, with an activation energy of 35.9 kJ/mol for hydrogen and 46.3 kJ/mol for oxygen. The lifetime of OH⁻ is about three to four times longer than that of H₂O at temperatures from 800 to 2100 K, suggesting the greater stability of OH⁻ over H₂O, a unique characteristic of the grain boundaries. The estimated lifetime of the hydrous species decreases as the temperature increases, with an activation energy of 9.9 kJ/mol for OH⁻ and 13.4 kJ/mol for H₂O. While Gd₃⁺ is more mobile than Ti⁴⁺, both the Gd₃⁺ and Ti⁴⁺ cations are orders of magnitude less mobile than the water species. The results suggest that water species are much more mobile within grain boundaries than in the bulk crystal and have the potential to penetrate deep into polycrystalline materials through grain boundaries, leading to grain boundary degradation and dissolution. The different mobilities of cations in complex oxides can lead to leaching of certain cations and incongruent dissolution during the chemical weathering of Earth and industrial materials.