Nanostructured Yttrium Oxide Obtained by Hydrolysis of Yttrium Sulfate

Abstract

Modern functional metal oxide materials are based upon the use of nanostructured particles. In recent years materials on the basis of yttrium oxide find ever-widening application. The properties of yttrium oxide depend heavily on precursors and synthesis conditions. One of the poorly investigated precursors is yttrium sulfate. The study discusses the products of alkaline hydrolysis of yttrium sulfate obtained by the sol-gel method. The influence of the synthesis pH on morphological, thermal and structural properties of compounds has been examined. Formation of non-stoichiometric compounds occluding counter-ions of the reactant salts in their structure has been revealed. The nanostructured hydrolysis products are formed, which increase their specific surface at annealing and retain their morphology and sizes. The obtained results give grounds to expect using yttrium sulfate as a precursor for synthesis of structured yttrium oxide.