Synthesis and phase evolution of LiNb0.6Ti0.5O3 powder via a sol–gel method

A simple sol–gel route was demonstrated for the synthesis of LiNb0.6Ti0.5O3 (M-phase) powder, using cheap and manageable starting materials at a relatively low temperature. The phase transitions in both chemical and solid-state processes were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) in detail. The results showed that in the sol–gel process the anatase TiO2 phase first appeared at 400 °C and then LiNbO3 solid solution (LiNbO3 ss) emerged at 500 °C. When calcined to 600 °C, the M-phase started to appear along with the decrease of TiO2 and LiNbO3 ss. Single M-phase could be formed at 700 °C, which is 300 °C lower than that by the traditional solid-state method. A plausible evolution mechanism of the as-synthesized powder in calcination was proposed. The produced powder has potential applications in microelectronics systems.

Graphical abstractA simple sol-gel route was demonstrated for the synthesis of LiNb0.6Ti0.5O3 (M-phase) powder, using ready available raw materials, showing single M-phase could be formed at 700 °C, which is 300 °C lower than that by the traditional solid-state method. The produced powder has potential applications in microelectronics systems.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide