Crystallization of BaTiO[sub 3] from an X-ray amorphous, metal organic precursor was investigated by comparing samples heated in O[sub 2], air, argon, and CO[sub 2]. It is evident that an intermediate barium titanium oxycarbonate phase forms between 500 and 620C and that BaTiO[sub 3] forms directly by the endothermic decomposition of this phase between 635 and 700C. From thermodynamic calculations, thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy, it is concluded that the intermediate oxycarbonate is a highly disordered, metastable, and weakly crystalline phase with a stoichiometry close to Ba[sub 2]Ti[sub 2]O[sub 5]Co[sub 3].

Metal Organic Resin Derived Barium Titanate: I, Formation of Barium Titanium Oxycarbonate Intermediate

The present study highlights the facile synthesis of polyaniline (PANI)-based nanocomposites doped with SrTiO₃ nanocubes synthesized via the in situ oxidative polymerization technique using ammonium persulfate (APS) as an oxidant in acidic medium for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV⁻Vis spectroscopy, Brunauer⁻Emmett⁻Teller analysis (BET) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements were used to characterize the prepared nanocomposite photocatalysts. The photocatalytic efficiencies of the photocatalysts were examined by degrading methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The results showed that the degradation efficiency of the composite photocatalysts that were doped with SrTiO₃ nanocubes was higher than that of the undoped polyaniline. In this study, the effects of the weight ratio of polyaniline to SrTiO₃ on the photocatalytic activities were investigated. The results revealed that the nanocomposite P-Sr500 was found to be an optimum photocatalyst, with a 97% degradation efficiency after 90 min of irradiation under solar light.

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/8/2/27/pdf

SrTiO₃ Nanocube-Doped Polyaniline Nanocomposites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue under Visible Light.

Nanometre-sized powders of SrTiO 3 were prepared at 70–100 °C by the wet-chemical method of gel to crystallite (G-C) conversion. The crystallite sizes obtained were in the range 5–13 nm, as estimated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. The photocatalytic activities of these powders in the mineralization of phenol were evaluated in comparison with Degussa P25 (TiO 2 ). The maximum photocatalytic activity was observed for powders annealed in the range 1100–1300 °C. The optical spectra of the particle suspensions in water showed broadened absorption around the band gap region, together with the appearance of an absorption maximum in the UV region. The effect of inorganic oxidizing species as electron scavengers on the rate of the photocatalytic degradation of phenol was studied. The influence of bulk and surface defects, which participate in the charge transfer process during photocatalysis, was investigated systematically.

Nanoparticles of SrTiO3 prepared by gel to crystallite conversion and their photocatalytic activity in the mineralization of phenol

The present investigation highlights the synthesis of polyaniline (PANI)-coated graphene oxide doped with SrTiO₃ nanocube nanocomposites through facile in situ oxidative polymerization method for the efficient removal of carcinogenic dyes, namely, the cationic dye methylene blue (MB) and the anionic dye methyl orange (MO). The presence of oxygenated functional groups comprised of hydroxyl and epoxy groups in graphene oxide (GO) and nitrogen-containing functionalities such as imine groups and amine groups in polyaniline work synergistically to impart cationic and anionic nature to the synthesised nanocomposite, whereas SrTiO₃ nanocubes act as spacers aiding in segregation of GO sheets, thereby increasing the effective surface area of nanocomposite. The synthesised nanocomposites were characterised by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The adsorption efficiencies of graphene oxide (GO), PANI homopolymer, and SrTiO₃ nanocubes-doped nanocomposites were assessed by monitoring the adsorption of methylene blue and methyl orange dyes from aqueous solution. The adsorption efficiency of nanocomposites doped with SrTiO₃ nanocubes were found to be of higher magnitude as compared with undoped nanocomposite. Moreover, the nanocomposite with 2 wt % SrTiO₃ with respect to graphene oxide demonstrated excellent adsorption behaviour with 99% and 91% removal of MB and MO, respectively, in a very short duration of time.

https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/8/9/305/pdf

H.S. Gopalakrishnamurthy

Papers

Thermal decomposition of titanyl oxalates—I: Barium titanyl oxalate

Thermal decomposition of titanyl oxalates IV. Strontium and calcium titanyl oxalates