EXAFS and X-ray diffraction studies on sol–gel prepared zirconium titanium oxides

A series of solid solutions of zirconium titanium oxides (ZTs) ZrxTi1−xO2 (x=0.1,0.18,0.45) was prepared from zirconium and titanium n-propoxide, dissolved in 2-methoxyethanol, by sol–gel process. The amorphous products after pyrolysis of the dried gels and the crystalline phases were studied by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy to monitor the structural changes from the amorphous oxide mixture to the crystalline ceramics after calcination. Additionally, the crystalline phases were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The sample with an intermediate zirconium content (Zr0.45Ti0.55O2) exhibits significant structural changes in course of the calcination, whereas the differences between the amorphous and the crystalline state are quite small in titanium-rich samples.