Influence of different parameters on the particle and crystallite sizes of barium titanate prepared by an alkoxide sol-gel method

Barium titanate nanopartieles were synthesized in water/alcohol solutions by the hydrolysis of complex alkoxide precursor that was prepared by reflux of metallic barium and tetraethylorthotitanate in the alcohol. The alcohols employed were ethanol, 1-butanol and 1-octanol, which have different chain lengths. High hydrolysis reaction temperature produced small particles with small crystallite sizes. Particle and crystallite sizes were also dependent on alcohol species. For ethanol, crystallite size increased from 10.3 to 21.0 nm with an increase in water concentration. The crystallite size also increased from 13.0 to 42.9 nm for 1-butanol and from 26.6 to 52.9 nm for 1-octanol, respectively, with an increase in water concentration. Amorphous or low crystallinity products were formed for the 1-butanol and the 1-octanol at high water concentrations.