Synthesis and characterization of (Zn,Co)TiO3 by modified low temperature preparing route

Purely hexagonal ilmenite-type zinc metatitanate (ZnTiO3) and (Zn1−xCox)TiO3 (x = 0.5-1) ceramic powders were successfully synthesized at low temperature by a sol-gel route including the Pechini process. The process was modified by using a two-step heat treatment so as to obtain pure products, as was proved by the XRD, FT-IR and TG-DTA measurements. The thermodynamic stability of (Zn1−xCox)TiO3 products improved with increasing solubility x. The average crystalline grain sizes of the final products varied from ∼220 to 100 nm with increasing solubility x as confirmed by FE-SEM observation. The dielectric properties of (Zn1−xCox)TiO3 were measured at different frequencies and the results showed that there existed maximum values both for the dielectric constants and the loss tangents at x = 0.5.