Fluorite to pyrochlore phase transformation in nanocrystalline Nd2Zr2O7

Structural phase plays a crucial role in the applications of pyrochlores. Nanocrystalline Nd2Zr2O7 (NZO) pyrochlore was prepared by chemical co-precipitation method and its structural phase transformation with heat-treatment temperature (T-c) is studied. Monophasic fluorite structured NZO was observed at 800 degrees C, and it has progressively transformed into pyrochlore phase with further increasing the T-c and the process is complete with monophasic pyrochlore NZO at 1300 degrees C. A detailed study by using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy supported this type of structural phase transition and reported in this work. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.