Simple route to bismuth titanate from bismuth glycolate precursor via sol–gel process

Bismuth titanate (Bi4Ti3O12) is successfully synthesised using bismuth glycolate as a bismuth source and acetic acid and ethanol as solvents via sol–gel process without adding a complexing agent. The synthesis parameters investigated are acetic acid to ethanol ratio, mechanical stirring time, calcination time and temperature. It is found that an increase in the acetic acid to ethanol ratio causes an increase in the gelation time, and the calcination temperature is the key factor in transformation to a crystalline Bi4Ti3O12 perovskite phase. The perovskite phase of Bi4Ti3O12 in a nanoplate shape is obtained after stirring the precursor mixture solution containing 0·1 acetic acid to ethanol ratio for 1 h at room temperature, followed by calcination of the dried gel at 600°C for 1 h.