Nanocrystalline Pr₆O₁₁: Preparation, characterization, and electrical conductivity properties

Bahaa M. Abu-Zied^a,b,c, Youssef A. Mohamed^b, Abdullah M. Asiri^a,c

^a  Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science , King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia

^b Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, 71516 Assiut, Egypt

^c  Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research (CEAMR), King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203 , Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia

Email: babuzied@yahoo.com, babuzaid@kau.edu.sa,  babuzied@aun.edu.eg

Abstract:

This work describes the preparation of praseodymium oxide, Pr₆O₁₁, nanoparticles using the precipitation method. Pr³⁺  ions were precipitated using NaOH solution. The obtained product  was filtered, dried, and then calcined for 1h at 400-700 °C temperature range in static air atmosphere. The obtained solids were characterized using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), thermogravimetry (TGA), in situ electrical conductivity, electron microscopy (FESEM & TEM), and nitrogen adsorption at -196 °C. The obtained results revealed that Pr₆O₁₁  with crystallites size of 6-12 nm is formed at 400 °C. Such value increased to 20–33 nm for the sample calcined at 700 °C. The high electrical conductivity of Pr₆O₁₁ nanoparticles was attributed to the electron hopping between Pr³⁺-Pr⁴⁺  pairs.

Keywords: Nanocrystalline praseodymium oxide; Pr₆O₁₁; electrical conductivity