Methods of controlling the morphology of perovskite submicron-sized particles

摘要

The present invention includes a method of making a plurality of nanoparticles comprising single crystalline spherical BaZrO₃ particles, cubic BaZrO₃ particles or a mixture of both. The method comprises: providing a mixture of a barium precursor, a zirconium precursor and a hydroxide salt or hydroxide salts; heating the mixture to an isothermic annealing temperature, wherein the annealing temperature is in a range of from about 470° C. to about 800° C.; annealing the mixture at the isothermic annealing temperature for an annealing time of in a range of about 15 minutes to about 280 minutes; and cooling the mixture at a fixed cooling rate to form the plurality of nanoparticles, wherein the cooling rate is in a range of from about 2° C./minute to about 200° C./minute. The ratio of spherical particles to cubic particles in the plurality is greater if the isothermic annealing temperature is at the higher end of the range; the ratio of spherical particles to cubic particles in the plurality is greater if the annealing time is at the higher end of the range; and the ratio of spherical particles to cubic particles in the plurality is greater if the cooling rate is at the lower end of the range.