Controlled Synthesis of CoTiO3 Nanostructures Via Two-Step Sol-Gel Method in the Presence of 1,3,5-Benzenetricarboxylic Acid

In this investigation, a two-step sol-gel method was developed to prepare CoTiO3 nanostructures by using cobalt(II) acetate and tetra-n-butyl titanate (TNBT). The type of solvent and polymeric agent as well as calcination temperature and the molar ratio of TNBT to 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (trimesic acid) were the studied parameters. Based on the XRD results, it was found that pure CoTiO3 nanostructures were produced only in presence of ethanol and trimesic acid. In the present study, trimesic acid has been used effectively to synthesize pure phase of CoTiO3 which avoids the oxidation of Co2+ as well as the reduction of Ti4+. This work provides a general, simple, and effective method to control the structure and morphology of CoTiO3 in ethanol solution, which will be important in inorganic synthesis methodology. The products were characterized by XRD, SEM, FT-IR, TEM, DRS, and EDS.