Synthesis and characterization of Ba2YSbO6 nanoparticles through a modified combustion process

Nanoparticles of Yttrium Barium Antimonate (Ba2YSbO6), a complex perovskite ceramic oxide have been synthesized using an auto ignition combustion process for the first time. The particle size and properties of the nanocrystals have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermo gravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The XRD studies have shown that the as-prepared powder is phase pure Ba2YSbO6 and has a complex cubic perovskite (A2BB'O6) crystalline structure with lattice constant a = 8.402 Å. Transmission electron microscopy study has shown that the particle size of the as-prepared powder was in the range 20–50 nm. The nanocrystals of Ba2YSbO6 synthesized by the combustion technique could be sintered to 97% of the theoretical density at a temperature of 1550 °C for 4 h. The combustion synthesis has a definite advantage that the phase pure Ba2YSbO6 nanopowder could be obtained by a single step process without the need of a calcination step.