A new approach for the preparation of SrTiO3 nanocubes

This paper describes the preparation of SrTiO3 nanocubes with an average length of ∼20 nm. SrTiO3 nanoparticles were prepared using a solvothermal reaction at 240 °C for 18 h with [(CH3)2CHO]4Ti as a raw material and a little distilled water addition. X-ray diffraction measurements confirmed the presence of perovskite SrTiO3 particles. The water served as an oxygen source for producing the perovskite structure. Furthermore, a new approach to nanocube formation using a mixture of raw materials as titanium sources was investigated. Dispersed SrTiO3 nanocubes were successfully prepared using this approach and a solvothermal reaction performed at 260 °C for 18 h. SrTiO3 was synthesized from a mixture that included [(CH3)2CHO]4Ti and TiO2 as titanium sources. The [(CH3)2CHO]4Ti and TiO2 contributed to rapid nucleation and crystal growth, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed that the particles were nanocubes approximately 20 nm in size.