Synthesis and Characterization of Bowl-Like Single-Crystalline BaTiO(3) Nanoparticles

Novel bowl-like single-crystalline BaTiO(3) nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method using Ba(OH)(2)·8H(2)O and TiO(2) as precursors. The as-prepared products were characterized by XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM and TEM. The results show that the bowl-like BaTiO(3) nanoparticles are single-crystalline and have a size about 100-200 nm in diameter. Local piezoresponse force measurements indicate that the BaTiO(3) nanoparticles have switchable polarization at room temperature. The local effective piezoelectric coefficient d(33)(*) is approximately 28 pm/V.