A new approach for the preparation of SrTiO3 nanocubes

Abstract This paper describes the preparation of SrTiO 3 nanocubes with an average length of ∼20 nm. SrTiO 3 nanoparticles were prepared using a solvothermal reaction at 240 °C for 18 h with [(CH 3 ) 2 CHO] 4 Ti as a raw material and a little distilled water addition. X-ray diffraction measurements confirmed the presence of perovskite SrTiO 3 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 SrTiO 3 nanocubes were successfully prepared using this approach and a solvothermal reaction performed at 260 °C for 18 h. SrTiO 3 was synthesized from a mixture that included [(CH 3 ) 2 CHO] 4 Ti and TiO 2 as titanium sources. The [(CH 3 ) 2 CHO] 4 Ti and TiO 2 contributed to rapid nucleation and crystal growth, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed that the particles were nanocubes approximately 20 nm in size.