Chemical preparation of Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3 powders

A chemical preparation method was applied to the synthesis of lead indium niobate (Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3, (PIN)) powders from nitrate solutions. As a niobium source, an oxalate-free niobium precursor solution was prepared from niobium hydrogen oxalate. Clear PIN precursor solutions with Pb2+, In3+ and peroxo–Nb ions were hydrolyzed with aqueous ammonia solutions. Coprecipitates with a high degree of compositional homogeneity were obtained through the control of the hydrolysis conditions. The as-prepared powders were amorphous and consisted of very small particle size (∼30 nm). The powders began to crystallize into a cubic pyrochlore phase at 500°C, formed a cubic perovskite phase at 700°C, and yielded a single-phase perovskite at 900°C.