Influence of the lead carboxylate on the molecular composition of its solutions with zirconium and titanium isopropoxides or n-butoxides: 2-ethylhexanoate vs acetate, a way to stabilize the first Pb-Zr carboxylatoalkoxides of 1:1 stoichiometry

The reactions between titanium or zirconium alkoxides namely Ti(OR)₄ (R = ⁱ Pr, ⁿ Bu) or Zr₂(O ⁱ Pr)₈(HO ⁱ Pr)₂, Zr(O ⁿ Bu)₄ respectively and lead 2-ethylhexanoate Pb(O₂CC₇H₁₅)₂ were investigated at room temperature (rt) and by heating. The various compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, ¹H and ²⁰⁷Pb NMR. The mixed-metal species obtained at rt were adducts Pb₄Zr₄(μ-O₂CR′)₈(OR)₁₆(OHR)₂ 1 and Pb₂Ti₄(μ-O₂CR′)₄(OR)₁₆ 2 (R′=CHCHEt(CH₂)₂Me, R = ⁱ Pr) independently of the stoichiometry used. The structures of 1 and 2 are based on triangular M₂Pb cores (M = Zr, Ti). with 6-coordinate transition metals -as required for perovskites- and 6- or 7-coordinate lead atoms. Similar observations were made with n-butoxides. Thermal and hydrolytic condensation reactions were investigated. Thermal condensation was more difficult for the n-butoxide derivatives than for the isopropoxide ones. Powders derived from the hydrolysis of the Single Source Precursor 1 in various conditions were characterized by TGA, XRD and SEM for the PZ ceramic.