Synthesis of YAP nanopowder by a soft chemistry route

Polycrystalline fine powder of YAlO3 (YAP) was synthesized by the modified polymeric precursor method. A preliminary gradual pyrolytic decomposition under nitrogen flux was crucial in the removal process of organic residues to avoid the formation of molecular level inhomogeneities. YAP single phase was crystallized at temperatures between 950 °C and 1000 °C using chemically homogeneous ball-milled amorphous particles and very fast heating rates, corresponding to the lowest synthesis temperature of pure YAP nanopowder by soft chemistry routes.