title: A low-temperature, soft chemistry method for the synthesis of zirconia nanoparticles in thermally evaporated fatty amine thin films.
abstract: We demonstrate the synthesis of zirconia nanoparticles in a lipid matrix by a simple, low temperature beaker-based process. This is accomplished by electrostatic entrapment of ZrF6(2-) ions within thermally evaporated octadecylamine (ODA) thin films followed by the low-temperature in situ hydrolysis of the entrapped metal ion complexes. The zirconia particles thus formed were of the monoclinic phase and were fairly monodisperse with particles of average size 40 nm. The zirconia crystallites appeared to exhibit preferred orientation indicating epitaxial growth of the crystals within the lipid matrix. The formation of zirconia nanoparticles in the lipid matrix was investigated using quartz crystal microgravimetry (QCM), optical absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques.
authors.affiliation: Materials Chemistry Division, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 411008, India.
authors.forename: S Shiv
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Shankar
authors.forename: Hrushikesh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pasricha
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Pavaskar
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Mandale
authors.forename: Murali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sastry