Preparation and Characterization of Lanthanide Oxides through Solution Combustion Synthesis (SCS) for Nuclear Science Measurements

Lanthanide oxides can be used in a variety of nuclear science applications in the preparation of targets. This poster explores the preparation of lanthanide oxides using solution combustion synthesis (SCS). In this process, metal nitrates act as oxidizers and are mixed with fuels and solvents such as acetylacetone, ethanol and 2-methoxyethanol, then ignited under controlled conditions, with close attention paid to the process and the parameters used. The fuel-to-oxidizer ratio, solvent type, temperature, and product purity are varied to explore the quantity and quality of the product. The resulting reaction produces oxide powders. In addition to oxide powders, SCS can be adapted to synthesize thin films of lanthanide oxides for use as targets in nuclear science experiments. These films, typically 100-150 nanometers thick (nm), are uniform and suitable for ion-beam exposure and can be used for cross-section measurements. The synthesized materials were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), to confirm the successful synthesis of pure lanthanide oxides with defined phase compositions and crystal structure.