Effect of urea on lead zirconate titanate—Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3—nanopowders synthesized by the Pechini method

PZT powders were synthesized by a chemical method using the conventional Pechini method and a urea-modified Pechini method, where the smooth pH increase, by the decomposition of urea, allows a better control of the pH. The FTIR spectra revealed that the precursor gel in conventional Pechini method is formed by a mixture of unidentade- and bridged-bonded complexes between the metallic cations and the citric acid. On the other hand, the precursor gel in the modified Pechini method is formed essentially by unidentade complexes. The modified Pechini method leads to homogeneous sub-micrometric spherical particles of 0.1 μm and a 7.4 m2 g−1surface area.