10.57647/j.jtap.2025.1905.51

Comparative structural and superconducting characterization of nanostructured Y3Ba4Cu7O16-δ (Y347) and Y3Ba5Cu8O18-δ (Y358) superconductor

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  • Maryam B. Abood*1,2,
  • Emad K. Al-Shakarchi,
  1. Department of Physics, College of Science, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq
  2. Department of Physics, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Received: 2025-07-28

Revised: 2025-08-24

Accepted: 2025-09-09

Published in Issue 2025-09-30

Copyright (c) 2025 Maryam B. Abood, Emad K. Al-Shakarchi (Author)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

1.
Abood MB, Al-Shakarchi EK. Comparative structural and superconducting characterization of nanostructured Y3Ba4Cu7O16-δ (Y347) and Y3Ba5Cu8O18-δ (Y358) superconductor. J Theor Appl phys. 2025 Sep. 30;19(5). Available from: https://oiccpress.com/jtap/article/view/17683
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Abstract

This study presents a comparative investigation of two nanostructured superconducting compounds, Y₃Ba₄Cu₇O₁₆−δ (Y347) and Y₃Ba₅Cu₈O₁₈−δ (Y358), synthesized via a modified sol-gel auto-combustion technique using metal nitrates as precursors. The synthesis process involved gelation, controlled drying, calcination, and sintering steps, which enabled the formation of single-phase orthorhombic structures, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The calculated lattice parameters for Y347 were a = 7.42 Å, b = 3.12 Å, and c = 19.213 Å, while Y358 exhibited values of a = 3.875 Å, b = 3.884 Å, and c = 31.03 Å. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed an average particle size of 63.36 nm for Y347 with nearly spherical morphology, whereas Y358 particles appeared as well-defined nanorods with an average diameter of 33.28 nm. Electrical resistivity (ρ–T) measurements demonstrated superconducting transition temperatures of 145 K for Y347 and 150 K for Y358, indicating enhanced superconducting performance of Y358, as evidenced by a higher Tc and well-defined nanorods morphology, likely contributing to improved interlayer coupling and charge transport. To our knowledge, this study is among the first to provide a systematic nanoscale comparison of Y347 and Y358, highlighting the influence of particle size and morphology on Tc. These results emphasize the critical influence of nanoscale morphology, lattice configuration, and preparation route on the superconducting behavior of extended Y-based cuprate phases. The findings contribute to the ongoing development of High-Tc materials with improved structural and functional properties

Keywords

  • YBCO superconductors,
  • Sol-gel auto-combustion,
  • Y347,
  • Y358,
  • Superconducting transition temperature (Tc),
  • XRD analysis,
  • TEM analysis
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