Synthesis of Ba sub 2 YCu sub 3 O sub x by Anionic Oxidation (NO sub 3 sup -) - Reduction (NH sub 2 CH sub 2 COO sup -, NH sub 2 CH sub 2 CH sub 2 COO sup -, and CH sub 3 CH(NH sub 2) COO sup -).

The synthesis of Ba sub 2 YCu sub 3 O sub x by anionic oxidation reduction (the SCD method) is extended to include reducing agents such as the ionic salts of glycine (NH sub 2 CH sub 2 COO sup -), beta-alanine (NH sub 2 CH sub 2 CH sub 2 COO sup -) and alpha-alanine (CH sub 3 CHNH sub 2 COO sup -). In this chemical process, a solution of nitrate salts and (usually) organic reducing agents is spray dried to produce a homogeneously mixed powder. At low temperatures, the ionic salts undergo an internal oxidation-reduction reaction which converts the precursors into a highly reactive mixed metal oxide. Previous reducing agents sup (1-3) have included propionates, acetates and formates. We report a new series of reducing agents with extremely sharp decompositions (these are also the low temperature, to date):