EXAFS study of PZT sols

The environment of lead atoms in PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3 (PZT) sols was analyzed by EXAFS. The sols were prepared by 2-methoxyethanol-route from lead acetate, titanium n-propoxide, and zirconium n-propoxide, either unmodified or modified with acetic acid or acetylacetone. The addition of the modifier evokes the crystallization of the perovskite phase in the films at a lower temperature. In the sols a change in the local Pb environments is observed only after modification with 2 mol of acetylacetone or acetic acid per mole of Zr n-propoxide. With lower amounts of acetylacetone modifier the local Pb neighborhood is not affected.