Low temperature preparation of NaTi2(PO4)(3) by sol-gel method

Abstract

Bulk and nano sized rhombohcdral NaTi2(PO4)(3) belonging to NASICON family have been prepared by sol-gel method at low temperatures. The products are characterised by powder X-ray diffraction, Raman, SEM and TEM methods. The phase formation of NaTi2(PO4)(3) was started at 550 degrees C. The crystallite sizes of NaTi2(PO4)(3) prepared at 550 degrees C and 600 degrees C were found to be 35 nm and 37 nm respectively. The nano nature of the samples was confirmed from the line width of powder XRD and Raman lines. The Raman spectra are characterised by bands due to isolated phosphate groups and Ti-O vibrational modes. The morphology of nano crystallites was found to be irregular. The average particle size calculated from TEM was found to be 30 nnt and 35 nnt for the samples heated at 550 degrees C and 600 degrees C respectively. The high resolution TEm image clearly shows the lattice fringes corresponding to the rhombohedral lattice of NaTi2(PO4)(3)