A rapid sustainable sol-gel synthesis of phase-pure BaTiO₃ nanostructures with minimal energy demand

The present work reports the production of BaTiO3 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 in particle size (~100 nm to ~25 nm), and high surface area (>50 m2/g). This method 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.