Zr alkoxide chain effect on the sol–gel synthesis of lithium metazirconate

Lithium metazirconate (Li2ZrO3) was synthesized by the sol–gel method, using four different Zr alkoxides: zirconium ethoxide, zirconium iso-propoxide, zirconium propoxide and zirconium butoxide. The syntheses were made under two different catalytic regimes, acid and basic. The resulting powders were mixtures of Li2ZrO3 and ZrO2. The best yield of Li2ZrO3 (100%) was obtained when the sol–gel reaction was developed with lithium methoxide and zirconium ethoxide under acid catalysis regime. This study establishes that, for base-catalyzed reactions the ZrO2 formation decreases when the alkyl-chain increases in the alkoxides. By contrast, for acid-catalyzed reactions the ZrO2 formation increases as the alkyl-chain increases. Finally, when Zr propoxide and Zr iso-propoxide were used, the Li2ZrO3 amounts were different due to steric effects.