The Effect of Sintering Temperature on the Structural Characteristics, Particle Size, and Photocatalytic Properties of BaTiO3 and Ba0.97Sr0.03TiO3 Nanomaterials
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: BaTiO3 and Ba0.97Sr0.03TiO3 nanomaterials were synthesized by the co-precipitation method and sintered at 900 °C and 1000 °C for 4 hours. This study investigates the effect of 3 mol% Sr substitution and sintering temperature on the crystal structure, functional groups, particle-size distribution, and photocatalytic performance toward methylene blue (MB) degradation. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed tetragonal perovskite BaTiO3 with weak secondary reflections, more numerous in the Sr-containing samples, and no resolved shift of the (101) reflection after Sr substitution. The crystallite size estimated from XRD was 30-33 nm (Scherrer plot) and 37-46 nm (unsplit (111) reflection), whereas dynamic light scattering (DLS) gave Z-average hydrodynamic diameters of about 250-440 nm, indicating agglomeration of the crystallites; the Sr-containing powder was smaller only at 900 °C. FTIR spectra showed the characteristic Ti-O (Ba-Ti-O) stretching band at 565-576 cm-1. Photocatalytic activity was evaluated using 10 ppm MB solution under UV irradiation. The apparent MB removal, calculated from the absorbance at 664 nm, was ≈34% and ≈24% for Ba0.97Sr0.03TiO3 sintered at 900 °C and 1000 °C, compared with ≈28% and ≈0% for undoped BaTiO3; thus Sr substitution increased, and the higher sintering temperature decreased, the apparent removal. The origin of this behavior was not directly characterized and requires further study. Copyright © 2027 by Authors, Published by BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
DOI: 10.9767/bcrec.20841
Language: English
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $150
OpenAlex ID: W7224476471