Synthesis of highly tetragonal BaTiO₃ nanopowders using acetone as a solvent by alkoxide-hydroxide route

BaTiO₃ (BT) nanopowders were synthesized in acetone to remove the TiO₂ second phase, which was formed in the specimens synthesized in the 2-methoxyethanol solvent at above 100 °C due to H₂O evaporation. No TiO₂ second phase was formed in the specimens synthesized in acetone, even at 260 °C, due to the low boiling temperature of acetone which evaporated at above 55 °C and suppressed the H₂O evaporation by increasing the vapor pressure in the vessel. However, for the BT nanopowders synthesized at 250 °C for 60 h, TiO₂ second phase was formed at a Ba/Ti ratio of ≤1:5 and the BT nanopowders were agglomerated at a ratio of ≥3:0. Homogeneous BT nanopowders were obtained at a ratio of 2.0 and they exhibited a high c=a ratio of 1.0082 with a small size of 95.2 nm. Therefore, these nanopowders can be a good candidate for future multilayer ceramic capacitor.