  The BaCe0.8Y0.2O3-{\delta} proton conductor under hydration and under
compressive strain has been analyzed with high pressure Raman spectroscopy and
high pressure x-ray diffraction. The pressure dependent variation of the Ag and
B2g bending modes from the O-Ce-O unit is suppressed when the proton conductor
is hydrated, affecting directly the proton transfer by locally changing the
electron density of the oxygen ions. Compressive strain causes a hardening of
the Ce-O stretching bond. The activation barrier for proton conductivity is
raised, in line with recent findings using high pressure and high temperature
impedance spectroscopy. The increasing Raman frequency of the B1g and B3g modes
thus implies that the phonons become hardened and increase the vibration energy
in the a-c crystal plane upon compressive strain, whereas phonons are relaxed
in the b-axis, and thus reveal softening of the Ag and B2g modes. Lattice
toughening in the a-c crystal plane raises therefore a higher activation
barrier for proton transfer and thus anisotropic conductivity. The experimental
findings of the interaction of protons with the ceramic host lattice under
external strain may provide a general guideline for yet to develop epitaxial
strained proton conducting thin film systems with high proton mobility and low
activation energy.

Materials Science