We report a systematic study on the influence of the synthesis routes on the structural and magnetic properties of polycrystalline Pr xY 1-xBa 2Cu 3O 7-δ. We have prepared high-quality samples of this material by following a sol-gel method based on heat treatment in both inert argon and oxygen atmospheres in order to compare their effect on the formation of the superconducting phase using X-ray powder diffraction. Magnetic measurements (DC and AC susceptibility) clearly demonstrate that, for the same concentration of Pr, the superconducting transition temperature markedly increases in all samples prepared in argon atmosphere, including pure Pr-123. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.