Synthesis of nanocrystalline Sn0.2Zr0.8TiO4 by the citrate gel method

A gel was formed when a aqueous solution of ZrOCl2, SnOCl2, TiOCl2 and citric acid in stoichiometric ratio is heated on a water bath. This gel on decomposition at 873 K produced nano crystallites of the ternary oxide, Sn0.2Zr0.8TiO4. The conventional solid state ceramic method yields the same compound at 1173 K only. The average particle size of the samples prepared by the citrate method as studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is 50 nm.