Synthesis of Bi1. 5Pb0. 5Sr2Ca2Cu3Oy via sol-gel method using different acetate-derived precursors

Sol-gel method have been used to convert metal carbonates, oxides andnitrates into corresponding acetate precursors for gel formation.About 90% volume of high T C superconducting phase (2223)has been obtained for oxide-carbonate system. This value iscomparable to that obtained from pure acetates (91% volume).However, the nitrates-'derived sample has a high-T Cphase of 88% due to poor conversion of nitrates to acetates asobserved by the infrared spectra. The dominance of high-T Cphase was observed in all systems as evidenced in the single steptransition of R-T curves. Hence the percentage of thehigh-TC phase dictates the value of T C(R = 0)as 104 K, 103 K and 99 K, for oxide-carbonate, pure metal acetatesand nitrates system respectively.