Synthesis, lattice energy and microwave dielectric properties of BaCu2-Co Si2O7 ceramics

Abstract BaCu2-xCoxSi2O7 solid solutions with orthorhombic structure (Pnma) were prepared by solid-state reaction method. The phase synthesis process, structural evolution and microwave dielectric properties of BaCu2-xCoxSi2O7 ceramics were investigated. Single BaCu2Si2O7 phase was obtained when calcined at 950 °C for 3 h and was decomposed into BaCuSi2O6 phase when calcined at 1075 °C for 3 h. The sintering process was effectively promoted when Cu2+ was replaced by Co2+ and the maximum solubility of BaCu2-xCoxSi2O7 was located between 0.15 and 0.20. P-V-L complex chemical bond theory and Raman spectra were used to explain the structure-property correlations of BaCu2-xCoxSi2O7 ceramics. The corrected dielectric constant (er-corr) of BaCu2-xCoxSi2O7 ceramics decreased monotonously with the susceptibility (Σχμ) and ionic polarizability of primitive unit cell. The quality factor (Q × f) increased with bond strength and lattice energy (Ucal), especially the lattice energy of the Si-O bond. The temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) was determined by the susceptibility and lattice energy of the Cu/Co-O bond. The following optimum microwave dielectric properties were obtained at x = 0.15 when sintered at 1000 °C for 3 h: er = 8.45, Q×f =58958 GHz and τf = -34.4 ppm/°C.