Synthesis, structural and surface morphological characterizations of sulfated zirconia Nanoparticles via chemical route

Abstract

Sulfated zirconia (SZ) nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully synthesized and deposited via chemical route called sol-gel technique. The structural, morphological, and optical properties the samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDX), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and UV-visible spectrophotometer. Results show that the transmittance of the samples increased from visible region (VIS) to infrared (UV) region. It also showed that the transmittance of the samples changed with the precursor's concentrations. Furthermore, the samples showed very low absorbance which decreased toward the infrared region. The nanoparticles have wide energy bandgap that varied from 3.80 to 4.00±0.05 eV and is therefore good candidate for solar cell and solar thermal applications. It also presents an attractive alternative material for biomedical implants due to its biocompatibility and mechanical strength.

Keywords: Sulfated zirconia, sol-gel, nanoparticles, X-ray diffraction, wide-bandgap