Room-temperature homogeneous precipitation of highly uniform BaCO3 dumbbells in a mixed solvent of ethylene glycol and water

• Highly uniform BaCO3 dumbbells were fabricated via homogeneous precipitation.
• The products were obtained at room temperature without any extra additives.
• (CH3)2CO3 and (CH3CH2)2CO3 were used as the CO32− source.
• The formation mechanism of BaCO3 dumbbells was discussed.

We describe the successful synthesis of highly uniform BaCO3 dumbbells by using different carbonate esters (namely (CH3)2CO3 and (CH3CH2)2CO3) as the precipitating agent in a mixed solvent of ethylene glycol (EG) and water. The products were obtained at room temperature without any extra additives. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic studies identified orthorhombic BaCO3 structure of the prepared samples. The effects of reactant concentration and solvent composition on the morphology of BaCO3 were investigated. In spite of the different carbonate esters used, uniform BaCO3 dumbbells with excellent monodispersity can be generated by adjusting the reactant concentration and volume ratio of EG to water at appropriate values. The synergic effect of carbonate ester and EG modified the acicular habit of BaCO3 and facilitated the formation of dumbbells.