Preparation and characterization of BaSnO₃ powders by hydrothermal synthesis from tin oxide hydrate gel

BaSnO₃ powders have been prepared from the tin oxide hydrate gel and the Ba(OH)₂ solution via hydrothermal synthesis route. The influence of the process parameters on the characteristics of BaSnO₃ has been studied. A powder with the single-phase of BaSnO₃ can be obtained only when the concentration of Ba(OH)₂ solution is no less than 0.2 M and the ratio of Ba:Sn lies between 1.0 and 1.2. At a hydrothermal temperature of 330 °C or higher, uniform BaSnO₃ powders can be directly prepared through hydrothermal reaction. When the hydrothermal temperature is lower than 250 °C, the as-prepared powder consists of BaSn(OH)₆ that transforms through an amorphous phase into BaSnO₃ by calcination at 260 °C. In the hydrothermal temperature range of 130–250 °C, a higher temperature can promote the crystallization of BaSnO₃, increases its specific surface area and decreases the average particle size. The duration of the hydrothermal reaction affects the morphology of the powder particles. The effects of the nonaqueous solvents on the properties of powders have also been investigated.