Simplified preparation of REBa₂Cu₃O_7−x via the acetate method

Abstract

High-quality bulk REBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 * (RE = Y, Eu, Gd, Nd, La) was synthesized by a solution method. Stoichiometric amounts of yttrium, barium, and copper acetates were dissolved in glacial acetic acid. The acid was boiled away leaving a glassy acetate precursor. This precursor has shown amorphous scattering in XRD, a phenomenon consistent with atomic level mixing of reactants. The glassy precursor was subsequently heat-treated with a 5 °C/min ramp to 900 °C and a 2 h soak at 900 °C in air. The final product was obtained after heat treatment under oxygen at 550 °C with slow cooling to room temperature. Final products were analyzed by XRD, SEM, and four probe dc-resistivity measurements. The mechanism of both precursor and product formation was examined through substitution studies and XRD. It was found that a combination of a rare earth acetate, barium acetate, and acetic acid was necessary for the formation of an amorphous precursor.

Energetics of Ternary Nitrides: Li−Ca−Zn−N and Ca−Ta−N Systems

“…SrZnO 2 was synthesized via an acetate-based sol−gel method . Both 5.000 × 10 -3 mol of SrCO 3 and 5.000 × 10 -3 mol of ZnO were placed in a Pt crucible and dissolved in 20 mL of glacial acetic acid and 5 mL of H 2 O.…”