Structural Reconstruction of Hydrothermally Grown BaTiO3 Nanoparticles Based on High-Resolution Synchrotron Powder X-ray Diffraction

Abstract

Barium titanate (BaTiO3) is a versatile material for industrial and research purposes owing to its various and excellent properties, including its ferroelectricity. The demand for ultrafine BaTiO3 nanoparticles via a robust synthesis route capable of mass production, such as hydrothermal reactions, has increased owing to the rapid advancement of highly integrated electronic components. In this study, BaTiO3 nanopowders smaller than 150 nm are synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method to obtain ultrafine and highly uniform nanoparticles. The synthesized nanopowders are analyzed via high-resolution synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction experiments. Based on Rietveld refinement studies, a three-phase composite model is shown to be reasonable for investigating the nanopowders. The analytical results are summarized in detail for a set of BaTiO3 nanopowders. Nanoparticles are reconstructed based on the thicknesses obtained from the calculated phase weight fractions for each case.