In-situ size control and structural characterization of barium titanate nanocrystal prepared by crystallization of amorphous phase

Abstract We examined the influence of nanocrystalline particle size on the cubic-to-tetragonal phase transition of barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ). In-situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used in combination with electron microscopy to study the evolution of lattice structure and phase-transformation behavior with heat treatment and particle growth for BaTiO 3 . The lattice constants were obtained for various polycrystal orientations in the diameter size range 10–90 nm. In-situ XRD results during the crystallization of amorphous 4BaTiO 3 -SiO 2 revealed a critical size of ∼25 nm for the cubic-to-tetragonal phase transition of BaTiO 3 at room temperature.