High-resolution and analytical TEM investigation of metastable-tetragonal phase stabilization in undoped nanocrystalline zirconia

    Authors

    V. R. Oleshko; J. M. Howe; S. Shukla;S. Seal

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Nanosci. Nanotechnol.

    Keywords

    nanocrystalline ZrO2; sol-gel synthesis; conventional TEM; high-resolution TEM; AEM (PEELS, EDXS); OXIDATION; CATALYSTS; DESIGN; SIZE; ZRO2; Chemistry, Multidisciplinary; Nanoscience & Nanotechnology; Materials; Science, Multidisciplinary; Physics, Applied; Physics, Condensed Matter

    Abstract

    Submicron and nano-sized nanocrystalline pure zirconia (ZrO2) powders having metastable tetragonal and tetragonal-plus-monoclinic crystal structures, respectively, were synthesized using the sol-gel technique. The as-precipitated and the calcinated ZrO2 powders were analyzed for their morphology, nanocrystallite size and structures, aggregation tendency, local electronic properties, and elemental compositions by conventional and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and field-emission analytical electron microscopy, including energy-dispersive X-ray and electron energy-loss spectroscopies. The results from this study indicate that a combination of nanocrystallite size, strain-induced grain-growth confinement, and the simultaneous presence of the monoclinic phase can lead to stabilization of the metastable tetragonal-phase in undoped ZrO2. As a result, the tetragonal phase is stabilized within ZrO2 nanocrystallites up to 100 nm in size, which is 16 times larger than the previously reported critical size of 6 nm.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

    Volume

    4

    Issue/Number

    7

    Publication Date

    1-1-2004

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    867

    Last Page

    875

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000224611300030

    ISSN

    1533-4880

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