Synthesis of lead zirconate titanate nanofibres and the Fourier-transform infrared characterization of their metallo-organic decomposition process

We have synthesized Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 fibres with diameters ranging from 500 nm to several microns using electrospinning and metallo-organic decomposition techniques (Wang et al 2002 Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 702 359). By a refinement of our electrospinning technique, i.e. by increasing the viscosity of the precursor solution, and by adding a filter to the tip of the syringe, the diameter of the synthesized PZT fibres has been reduced to the neighbourhood of 100 nm. The complex thermal decomposition was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD). It was found that alcohol evaporated during electrospinning and that most of the organic groups had pyrolysed before the intermediate pyrochlore phase was formed. There is a good correspondence between XRD and FTIR spectra. We also verify that a thin film of platinum coated on the silicon substrate catalyses the phase transformation of the pyrochlore into the perovskite phase.