Low-temperature synthesis of strontium titanate particles with high specific surface area

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) particles are expected to be applied to various catalysts, and many kinds of synthesis procedures of SrTiO3 particles with a high specific surface area have been proposed. This study investigates a synthesis procedure of preparing SrTiO3 particles with a high specific surface area by minimizing the crystallization temperature to the least possible value. The SrTiO3 particles are prepared by maintaining spherical hydrous titania particles with smooth or porous surfaces in highly concentrated strontium hydroxide solutions at ≤120 °C. When porous hydrous titania particles are used as the raw material and the Sr/Ti ratio in the reaction solution is set at 10, spherical protrusions of SrTiO3 develop on the surface of the original hydrous titania, even at a low temperature (25 °C). Single-phase SrTiO3 particles with spherical protrusions composed of very fine crystallites are obtained by treatment at 40 °C for 24 h. These particles have a high BET specific surface area of 237 m2 g−1. The process developed herein is eco-friendly and effective for fabricating various perovskite-type compounds with a high specific surface area.