Conversion Process of Strontium?Titanium Bimetallic Methoxyethoxide Precursor into SrTiO₃ via Hydrolysis/Calcination

The conversion of a Sr-Ti bimetallic methoxyethoxide precursor into SrTiO3 via hydrolysis and/or calcination was investigated. Hydrolysis with various water/metal molar ratios (r(H); r(H) = 0.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10) in tetrahydrofuran at reflux resulted in a decrease in the amount of the methoxyethoxyl groups, and the hydrolyzed products were soluble with r(H) less than or equal to 2. At r(H) greater than or equal to 8, SrTiO3 was crystallized without calcination. Both the hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed precursors (r(H) = 0, 0.5, 2) were calcined in dry air at 550degrees-800degreesC. SrTiO3 was crystallized on calcination at greater than or equal to550degreesC from amorphous materials with a considerable loss of carbon, which was present as both chars and carbonate ions.