A Rapid Sustainable Sol-Gel Synthesis of Phase-Pure BaTiO₃ Nanostructures with Minimal Energy Demand

The present work reports the production of BaTiO ₃ ceramic nanostructures through a sustainable sol-gel synthesis route that drastically reduces energy demand while improving phase purity. Two synthesis strategies were compared: (A) a conventional route based on Ba(OH)₂ under controlled humidity and inert conditions, and (B) a modified route employing BaCl₂ as precursor under ambient atmosphere. This optimized method achieved an ~81% reduction in energy consumption, decreasing synthesis from 180 °C for 24 h to 130 °C for 3 h. Importantly, carbon-related impurities were significantly suppressed, obviating the need for post-synthesis acid washing treatments. Structural and morphological analyses (FT-IR, XRD with Rietveld refinement, FE-SEM, chemical mapping, and BET) confirmed enhanced phase purity, a drastic reduction particle size (~100 nm to ~25 nm), and high surface area high surface area (> 50 m ² /g). This methode provided a scalable and environmentally responsible pathway that allows the scalable production of high-purity BaTiO₃, advancing sustainable materials processing for electronic and energy-related applications.