Synthesis of nanolayers of lead titanate ceramics using organic lipid templates

Abstract

In this work, an attempt to probe the feasibility of formation of nanolayers of piezoelectric material viz lead titanate by lipid matrix using stearic acid (CH₃(CH₂)₁₇COOH) and octadectyl amine (CH₃(CH₂)₁₉NH₃) templates deposited by thermal evaporation technique was attempted in two successive stages. This paper also discusses the kinetic study of nanolevel thin films during the entrapment of Pb²⁺ in a fatty acid template of about 50 nm thickness and TiF₆²⁻ ions in the fatty amine template of about 50 nm thickness, followed by in situ hydrolysis of the metal ions using quartz crystal microgravimetry (QCM). Glass substrate containing lead and titanium incorporated organic lipid matrix were heated at 300°C for various durations to probe the physical change in the lipid matrix entrapped with metal ions. The X-ray diffraction patterns were analyzed at each step of entrapment of metal ions and in situ hydrolysis. Silicon wafers of N-type, having orientation hkl=111 was used as substrate material for FTIR analysis to confirm the formation of lipid templates without any disintegration in the functional groups present in the lipid. This paper presents the process development of nanomaterials using organic lipid templates on various substrates such as silicon wafers, quartz substrate, glass substrate etc., and also highlights its potential applications.