Nanoparticles of barium gadolinium antimonate (Ba₂GdSbO₆), a complex perovskite-type oxide, has been synthesized using an auto ignition combustion process for the first time. The nanoparticles thus obtained have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The XRD studies have shown that the as-prepared powder is phase pure Ba₂GdSbO₆ and has a complex cubic perovskite (A₂BB′O₆) crystalline structure with lattice constant, 𝑎 = 8.449 Å. The TEM image reveals that the particle size of the as-prepared nano powder was in the range 30–60 nm. The nanocrystals of Ba₂GdSbO₆ synthesized by the combustion technique could be sintered to 96% of the theoretical density by heating at a temperature of 1560°C for a short duration of 3 h. The surface morphology of the sintered pellet has been studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The dielectric constant ($\varepsilon_{r}$) was 20 and the loss factor (tan𝛿) was 0.03 at 3 MHz. By the present combustion technique a phase pure nanopowder of Ba₂GdSbO₆ could be obtained by a single step process without the need of any calcination step.

The effect of PbO addition on the structural, processing and microwave dielectric properties of LnTiTaO₆ (Ln = Ce, Pr and Nd) ceramics are reported. Conventional solid state ceramic route was used for the preparation of samples. Phase pure LnTiTaO₆ (Ln = Ce, Pr and Nd) ceramics are prepared at a calcination temperature of 1300°C. The samples are sintered at optimized temperatures. Addition of PbO reduces the sintering temperature. The crystal structure of the materials was analysed using X-ray diffraction techniques and the surface morphology of the sintered samples was analysed using scanning electron microscopy. The dielectric constant at microwave frequency range decreases for higher PbO addition for all the samples but the quality factor improves on small PbO addition. The thermal stability of resonant frequency was also improved with PbO addition on all the systems. A number of samples with improved microwave dielectric properties were obtained on all the systems suitable for practical applications.

Nanocrystalline NdBa₂ZrO_5.5 has been successfully synthesized through a single step auto-ignition combustion route for the first time. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the combustion product is phase pure and has an ordered cubic perovskite structure. The phase transitions and thermal stability of the nanopowder were investigated by differential thermal and thermogravimetric analyses. Transmission electron microscopy results indicated that the particle sizes are 20–30 nm. Selected area electron diffraction pattern has shown that as-prepared powder is polycrystalline in nature. The optical absorption spectra analysis confirmed that the material falls to the semiconducting range with a bandgap of ∼3.69 eV and therefore, could be used as transparent wide bandgap semiconductor. The relative density of the sintered sample is ∼96% at 1510 °C for 2 h. The surface morphology of the sintered pellet has been studied by scanning electron microscopy and the average grain size observed is ∼0.7 𝜇m. Dielectric constant (𝜀_r) of NdBa₂ZrO_5.5 at 5 MHz is 29.6 and loss factor (tan 𝛿) is 4 × 10^-2 at room temperature.