Low-temperature crystallization of La0.15Sr0.775TiO3 using ionic liquids

Abstract

The n-type thermoelectric oxide La0.15Sr0.775TiO3 (LST) has been synthesized at 600°C using an ionic liquid method. The method uses the ionic liquid 1-ethyl 3-methylimidazolium acetate as the sole complexing agent: the lack of a second, carbon-rich template decreases the quantity of reduced intermediate phases which form during heating. By suppressing these phases, greatly reduced temperatures can be used to crystallize the perovskite LST phase, on the nanoscale. These nanoparticles have the potential to be used to increase the figure of merit in n-type thermoelectric oxide devices.