Controlled Synthesis of ZrO2 Nanoparticles with Tailored Size, Morphology and Crystal Phases via Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Films

Ali Bumajdad; Ahmed Abdel Nazeer; Fakhreia Al Sagheer; Shamsun Nahar; Mohamed I Zaki

doi:10.1038/s41598-018-22088-0

Controlled Synthesis of ZrO₂ Nanoparticles with Tailored Size, Morphology and Crystal Phases via Organic/Inorganic Hybrid Films

Sci Rep. 2018 Feb 27;8(1):3695. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-22088-0.

Authors

Ali Bumajdad¹, Ahmed Abdel Nazeer², Fakhreia Al Sagheer², Shamsun Nahar², Mohamed I Zaki³

Affiliations

¹ Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, P.O. Box: 5969, Safat, 13060, Kuwait. a.bumajdad@ku.edu.kw.
² Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Kuwait University, P.O. Box: 5969, Safat, 13060, Kuwait.
³ Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Minia University, El-Minia, 61519, Egypt.

Abstract

In this investigation, well defined mesoporous zirconia nanoparticles (ZrO₂ NPs) with cubic, tetragonal or monoclinic pure phase were synthesized via thermal recovery (in air) from chitosan (CS)- or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-ZrO_x hybrid films, prepared using sol-gel processing. This facile preparative method was found to lead to an almost quantitative recovery of the ZrOx content of the film in the form of ZrO₂ NPs. Impacts of the thermal recovery temperature (450, 800 and 1100 °C) and polymer type (natural bio-waste CS or synthetic PVA) used in fabricating the organic/inorganic hybrid films on bulk and surface characteristics of the recovered NPs were probed by means of X-ray diffractometry and photoelectron spectroscopy, FT-IR and Laser Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron and atomic force microscopy, and N₂ sorptiometry. Results obtained showed that the method applied facilates control over the size (6-30 nm) and shape (from loose cubes to agglomerates) of the recovered NPs and, hence, the bulk crystalline phase composition and the surface area (144-52 m²/g) and mesopore size (23-10 nm) and volume (0.31-0.11 cm³/g) of the resulting zirconias.