Title: Low temperature preparation of NaTi₂(PO₄)₃ by sol-gel method

Authors: Radha Velchuri, B. Vijaya Kumar, V. Rama Devi, Sang Il Seok, M. Vithal

Addresses: Department of Chemistry, Osmania University, Hyderabad 500 007, India. ' Department of Chemistry, Osmania University, Hyderabad 500 007, India. ' Department of Chemistry, Osmania University, Hyderabad 500 007, India. ' Advanced Materials Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Sinseong 19, Yuseong, Daejeon 305-600, Korea. ' Department of Chemistry, Osmania University, Hyderabad 500 007, India

Abstract: Bulk and nano sized rhombohedral NaTi₂(PO₄)₃ belonging to NASICON family have been prepared by sol-gel method at low temperatures. The products are characterised by powder X-ray diffraction, Raman, SEM and TEM methods. The phase formation of NaTi₂(PO₄)₃ was started at 550°C. The crystallite sizes of NaTi₂(PO₄)₃ prepared at 550°C and 600°C were found to be 35 nm and 37 nm respectively. The nano nature of the samples was confirmed from the line width of powder XRD and Raman lines. The Raman spectra are characterised by bands due to isolated phosphate groups and Ti-O vibrational modes. The morphology of nano crystallites was found to be irregular. The average particle size calculated from TEM was found to be 30 nm and 35 nm for the samples heated at 550°C and 600°C respectively. The high resolution TEM image clearly shows the lattice fringes corresponding to the rhombohedral lattice of NaTi₂(PO₄)₃.

Keywords: NaTi2(PO4)3; sol-gel method; NASICON; sodium super ionic conductor; powder XRD; line width; Scherrer equation; Raman; SEM; TEM; lattice fringes; nanotechnology; nanostructures; nanocrystalline; rhombohedral lattice; nanoparticles.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2010.034712

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2010 Vol.7 No.9/10/11/12, pp.1077 - 1086

Published online: 17 Aug 2010 *

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