Synthesis and characterization of KNd2Ti3O9.5 nanocrystal and its catalytic effect on decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

A novel kind of perovskite type oxide KNd2Ti3O9.5 nanocrystals with an average size of 12 nm were successfully fabricated by a stearic acid sol–gel method (SAM) using Ti(OBu)4, KOH, Nd2O3 and stearic acid as the raw materials. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the products. The catalytic effect of the KNd2Ti3O9.5 nanoparticles on thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) was investigated by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermal gravimetry (TG) experiments. Results indicated that the obtained KNd2Ti3O9.5 nanocrystals took on cubic structure and presented both good dispersibility and uniform crystallite size. Also, they have an intense catalytic effect on the thermal decomposition of AP. Adding 2% of KNd2Ti3O9.5 nanoparticles to AP can obviously decrease the thermal decomposition temperature of AP by 50 °C, increase the heat of decomposition from 590 J g−1 to 1659 J g−1 and obviously quicken the decomposition reaction rate.