Strong-Acid-Catalyzed Formation of Crystalline LiNbO₃ at Low Ambient Temperatures

Abstract

A crystalline LiNbO3 material was synthesized at 80 °C by an optimized sol–gel method using a double alkoxide alcoholic solution in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and strong acids. The same reaction in the presence of water or acetic acid resulted in amorphous powders with fewer impurities but which crystallized only at 450 °C and higher temperatures. The purity of the crystalline material obtained at 80 °C is strongly dependent on the Li/Nb molar ratio used for the reaction. It appears that the combination of strong acids with H2O2 in air generates perfect conditions for the synthesis of low-temperature crystalline lithium niobate oxide derivatives and can be extended to various other metal oxides. The developed synthetic method opens the potential for the coating of low-melting-point conductive polymer materials with LiNbO3 crystalline films.