Low-temperature preparation and physical characterization of doped BaCeO3 nanoparticles by chemical precipitation

Background: In this work, the nanoparticles of pure BaCe1−xMxO3−δ (where M = Gd or Smand x = 0, 0.10, or 0.20) were synthesized by the simple chemical precipitation method. The prepared materials were calcined at 300°C, 450°C, and 600°C for 2 h each to obtain phase-pure compounds. The samples were characterized by thermogravimetry/ differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), particle size analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. Results: TGA/DTA results have shown that phase-pure BaCeO3 materials can be formed only above 500°C. The crystalline structure of parent and doped BaCeO3 was found to be orthorhombic. EDAX analysis has shown the atomic percentage of elements present in the Gd- and Sm-doped BaCeO3 samples. FTIR studies have shown the presence of Ce-O in doped BaCeO3 nanoparticles. Conclusions: Doped BaCeO3 may be used as an electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cell applications.