Study of the formation mechanism of complex oxides obtained by the sol–gel method: influence of the structure of iron, aluminium and yttrium acetylacetonate precursors on the phase composition of the ZrO2 ceramics

Abstract

To obtain new effective basic reagents for single-phase ceramic production with the use of alkoxosynthesis methods, three heterometallic iron–yttrium acetylacetonate complexes were originally synthesized by electrochemical anodic dissolution in acetylacetone. By means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), magnetic susceptibility and Mössbauer methods, the structure and properties of the new complex oxides were studied. It was shown that for the iron-containing gels and oxides, Fe³⁺/Y³⁺ ions participate in the oxide formation mechanism. The sets of interatomic distances found by means of EXAFS in the new iron–yttrium precursor and in the zirconium gel are practically equal. The presence of structure fragments formed by these bonds and especially direct Fe–Y in the precursors allow the formation of single-phase triple ceramic oxides.