Preparation and properties of Srn+1TinO3n+1 Ruddlesden-Popper homologous series by metal-citric acid complex decomposition method

We investigated the Srn+1TinO3n+1 Ruddlesden-Popper homologous series. This material exhibits a wide range of electric behaviors, from a high-dielectric-constant tunable-paraelectric in its undoped form to a metallic superconductor when it is doped with a variety of elements. The Srn+1TinO3n+1 and the yttrium-doped Srn+1TinO3n+1 Ruddlesden-Popper homologous series were prepared through the thermal decomposition of a metal citric acid complex. The starting solution consisted of the raw materials strontium acetate and titanium alkoxide. Citric acid was used as the chelating agent, and ethanol and distilled water were mixed and used as a solvent. Single phase Sr2TiO4 and Sr3Ti2O7 were produced without creation of SrCO3 by heat-treatment at 1073 and 1473 K, respectively, for three hours. We were unable to produce single phase Sr4Ti3O10. The samples consisted of Sr4Ti3O10 and SrTiO3 phases. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the grain shape of the Sr2TiO4 was plate-like, while those of the Sr3Ti2O7 and Sr4Ti3O10 were not and the grains had large numbers of pores. High-density Sr2XYXTiO4 (x= 0 to 0.06) ceramic samples were produced under hot-press conditions (1823 K for one hour at a uniaxial pressure of 31.2 MPa). Although the undoped samples were insulators, the yttrium-doped samples showed high electrical conductivity (i,e. that of Sr1.98Y0.02TiO4 was p= 8.5 X 10(-5) Omega cm). The Seebeck coefficient of Sr1.98Y0.02TiO4 was -160.7 mu V/K, and the thermal conductivity was 3.38 W/mK.