Low-Temperature Synthesis of Phase-Pure 0D-1D BaTiO3 Nanostructures Using H2Ti3O7 Templates

One-dimensional (1D) barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanowires, which were uniformly covered with 0D BaTiO3 nanocrystals, were synthesized by using a simple solvothermal reaction of protonated trititanate (H2Ti3O7) nanowires with barium hydroxide octahydrate [Ba(OH)(2)center dot 8H(2)O] at 80 degrees C in ethanol/water mixed solvent systems. The compositions of the mixed solvents - the volume ratio of ethanol to deionized water was a key controlling parameter in order to determine the phase formation and primary particle size of the 0D BaTiO3 nanocrystals. Single-phase cubic perovskite BaTiO3 started to form at 80 degrees C in a mixed solvent containing more than approximately 60 % by volume of ethanol. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis revealed that the as-prepared BaTiO3 retained its wire-shaped morphology with nanocrystals on the surface. Furthermore, the synthetic mechanism of the 0D-1D BaTiO3 nanostructures was demonstrated in view of the dielectric tuning of the mixed solvent and the similarities between the crystal structures of BaTiO3 and H2Ti3O7.