Study on BaBi4Ti4O15 nanoscaled powders prepared by sol-gel method

Bi-layered structure ferroelectric material-BaBi4Ti4O15 (BBT) powders with the order of magnitude of nanometer were prepared by sol-gel process using barium acetate, bismuth nitrate and tetrabutyl titanate as sources. The reaction mechanism of BBT precursor solution, and the preparation and characteristics of BBT powders were studied using simultaneous thermal analyzer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and particle analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Ethanolamine is an effective complexation reagent of Bi3+, which could control the hydrolysis of Bi(NO3)(3), When pH value is about 3.5, the stable and uniform BBT precursor could. be obtained. The Bi-layered. perovskite structure of BBT powder forms at 750 degreesC. The granularity distribution is centralized from 150 to 180 nm and the average particle size is about 160 nm. It is obvious that sol-gel process can be used to prepare nanoscaled powder for new kinds of ferroelectric materials. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.