Ferroelectric-glass nanocomposites

This study of,the sol-gel growth of ferroelectric particles in glass is divided into two sections: The first part deals with the growth of fine crystals of BaTiO3 and LiNbO3 in SiO2 glass, the second is concerned with the materials resulting from the modification of the oxide matrix with a silsesquioxane precursor RSiO1.5, in which R is the optically active organic dinitrophenyltrimethoxysilane, a derivative of aniline. For temperatures as low as 200 degrees C, small semi-crystalline structures have been observed via TEM; they grow in size and concentration with time and heat treatment temperature. P-E loops have been observed in the materials. The organically modified lithium niobium and barium titanium siloxanes also exhibit P-E loops. A interaction between TDP and the barium-titanium metal alkoxides has been observed through a strong red shift in the absorption spectrum of the TDP. This interaction was not observed in the case of lithium-niobium precursors.