In this study, the possibility to stabilize O2-ion conductors in Bi2O3-V2O5 system was investigated. Six pseudo-binary Bi2O3-V2O5 mixtures [3.50 < x(V2O5) < 8.50 mol%] were thermally treated at 1000?C for 1 h. The samples were characterized by XRD, HRTEM/SAED, DTA and EIS techniques. The high-temperature reaction between ? Bi2O3 and V2O5 resulted in formation of microcrystalline single-phase specimens containing the phase based on ?-Bi2O3 if V2O5 content was ? 4.63 mol%. The obtained phases exhibited main diffraction peaks corresponding to the simple cubic ?-Bi2O3 (space group Fm-3m) but Rietveld refinement showed a threefold repeat on a simple cubic sublattice indicating that the true unit cell is 3?3?3 supercell. Within proposed supercell, the octahedrally coordinated V5+ ions fully occupy 4a Wyckoff position and partially occupy 32f. The Bi3+ ions are placed at the rest of 32f and at 24e and 48h with full occupation. In total, 22 % of anionic sites are vacant. The ionic conductivity of phase with the lowest dopant content, i.e. Bi 103V5O167, amounts 0.283 S cm-1 at 800?C with the activation energy of 0.64(5) eV, which is comparable to the undoped ?-Bi2O3 known as the fastest ion conductor.
The bioactivity of the Ailanthus altissima crude leaf extract (CLE) and a leaf extract incorporated into a biopolymer matrix (BPM) was tested against Lymantria dispar larvae. The crude leaf extracts and those incorporated into a chitosan–gelatin polymer matrix were examined in choice and non-choice assays at 0.01, 0.05, 0.5, and 1% concentrations for feeding deterrent activity, contact, and digestive toxicity. The CLE exhibited moderate deterrent activity at all concentrations, whereas the BPM showed a very strong deterrent effect at 0.5% and 1% and a strong effect at 0.1% and 0.01%. No significant differences in digestive or contact toxicity were observed between the CLE and BPM groups and the control groups. The BPM also influenced larval behavior after digestion, decreasing consumption and growth and increasing development time. The higher bioactivity of the CLE compared to the control group is attributed to its high content of total phenols, flavonoids, and tannins, whereas the enhanced bioactivity of the BPM is due to its incorporation into the biopolymer matrix. Given its very strong deterrent activity, and absence of contact and digestive toxicity, the BPM can be recommended as a potential environmentally friendly bioproduct for forest pest control after field evaluation.