SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF Ba2SmSbO6 NANOPARTICLES

Abstract

Nanoparticles of samarium barium antimonate ( Ba 2 SmSbO 6), a complex perovskite has been synthesized using an auto-ignition combustion process for the first time. The nanoparticles thus obtained have been characterized using X-ray diffraction, thermo-gravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The XRD studies have shown that the as-prepared powder is phase pure Ba 2 SmSbO 6 and has a complex cubic perovskite ( A 2 BB ' O 6) crystalline structure with lattice constant a = 8.491 Å. The particle size of the as-prepared powder was in the range 20–50 nm. The nano crystals of Ba 2 SmSbO 6 synthesized by the combustion technique could be sintered to 97% of the theoretical density by heating at a temperature of 1550°C for 2 h. By the present combustion synthesis a phase pure Ba 2 SmSbO 6 nanopowder could be obtained by a single step process without the need of any calcination step.