Preparation of nanosized cubic lithium lanthanum zirconate fast ion conductor via facile polymer-chelate combustion route
Nanosized cubic lithium lanthanum zirconate is synthesized by forming a solution including an organic compound and compounds of lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium; drying the solution to yield a solid; and heating the solid in the presence of oxygen to pyrolyze the organic compound to yield a product comprising nanosized cubic lithium lanthanum zirconate.
1. A method of synthesizing undoped cubic lithium lanthanum zirconate nanoparticles, the method comprising:
forming a solution comprising tannic acid and compounds of lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium;
drying the solution to yield a solid; and
heating the solid in the presence of oxygen to pyrolyze the tannic acid, thereby yielding a product comprising cubic lithium lanthanum zirconate nanoparticles.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein heating the solid comprises calcining the solid.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution comprises lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium in a molar ratio of about 10:3:2.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution comprises lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium in a molar ratio of about 10.5:3:2.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compounds of lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium are nitrate salts.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compounds of lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium include organic moieties.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the compounds of lithium, lanthanum, and zirconium include acetylacetonate.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution is aqueous.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution is non-aqueous.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution comprises an organic solvent.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the solution comprises propionic acid.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the solution comprises dichloromethane.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the product comprises at least 90 wt % cubic lithium lanthanum zirconate nanoparticles.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the product comprises a total amount of lanthanum zirconate, lanthanum oxide, and lithium zirconate of less than 5 wt %.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the product comprises less than 5 wt % of tetragonal lithium lanthanum zirconate.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein heating the solid comprises forming a carbonaceous foam comprising the tannic acid or a degradation product thereof, thereby restricting growth of the cubic lithium lanthanum zirconate nanoparticles.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cubic lithium lanthanum zirconate nanoparticles are undoped.