Production of BaTiO₃ nanoparticles through the sol-gel route using humic substances from river water

A new route of synthesis, low cost and low environmental impact, has been developed for the production of barium titanate (BaTiO3). This material is widely used in the electronics industry due to its dielectric properties, ferroelectric and piezoelectric. Its crystal structure of perovskite type also has the ability to host dopants of different sizes, allowing a wide variety of ions is accommodated in BaTiO3 structure. The synthesis route proposed in this paper explores the complexation capacity of natural organic matter (NOM). Parameters such as concentration, pH and calcination temperature were investigated during production, with the aim of developing a simple, efficient and low energy cost procedure. Samples produced with concentration 0.5 g / ml showed a single phase after calcination at 1200 °C for 5 h. The crystallite size was estimated by Scherrer equation around 28 nm and the particle size, determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM-FEG) was from 80 to 180nm order. The sample produced also presented heterogeneous morphology with spherical particles, rods and needles. (author)