Preparation and characterization of nano-sized Sr0.7Ca0.3TiO3 crystallines by low temperature aqueous synthesis method

Nano-sized calcium strontium titanate (Sr0.7Ca0.3TiO3) particles were prepared by low temperature aqueous synthesis method at temperature as low as 90 °C and under ambient pressure. To improve the morphology and crystallinity of the particles, the hydrothermal treatment was used. The lattice structure, particle size, particle morphology, and hydroxyl defects of Sr0.7Ca0.3TiO3 particles were investigated by using XRD, TEM, FE-SEM, TG and FT-IR measurements. The as-prepared particles with size about 100 nm were single cubic phase crystallines which consist of aggregates of small rounded nanocrystals about 10 nm in diameter. However, in as-prepared crystallines, a hydroxyl group was detected as a lattice defect. After the hydrothermal treatment, the hydroxyl groups in Sr0.7Ca0.3TiO3 nanoparticles were partially released from the perovskite lattice. The morphology and crystallinity of the hydrothermally treated particles were observably improved.