Synthesis and characterization of glycolate precursors to MTiO3 (M = Ni2+, Co2+, Zn2+)

Abstract

Novel glycolate precursors to metal titanates MTiO3 (M = Ni2+, Co2+, Zn2+) were synthesized by heating metal acetate and titanium isopropoxide in ethylene glycol up to 190 °C during distilling the water to avoid hydrolysis of precursors. These glycolate precursors were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermal analysis (TG-DTA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The obtained three isostructural glycolate precursors were containing metal (Ni, Co, Zn), titanium, and ethylene glycol with a ratio of 1:1:4. The crystal growth processes of three precursors were different from each other. These precursors revealed homogeneous and well-defined rod-like structure with 0.5–3.0 μm in thickness and 4–20 μm in length. The obtained metal titanates were consisted of microrods with 0.4–1.5 μm in thickness and 2–15 μm in length.

Keywords

• Crystalline glycolate precursors
• Metal titanates
• Solvothermal reaction
• Ethylene glycol