Zirconium Oxide Nanoparticles

Zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) is commonly known as zirconia. It is possible to observe ZrO₂ in both amorphous and crystalline structures. There are different crystal structures of ZrO₂; monoclinic, tetragonal, and cubic. The thermodynamically stable phase of ZrO₂ is the monoclinic structure which is observed at low temperatures (below 1150 ˚C). Hence, ZrO₂ nanoparticles are often in the monoclinic structure. The appearance of these nanoparticles is white and typically between 5-100 nm. ZrO₂ is a wide bandgap semiconductor. It shows a wideband (2.5-3.8 eV) gap and short wavelengths at UV-visible range. The melting point of ZrO₂ is 2715°C while the boiling point is 4300°C. In addition to high thermal properties, ZrO₂ shows high chemical stability, high dielectric constant, excellent wear resistance, and biocompatibility. The application areas of zirconium oxide are;

• Fuel-cell technology,
• Catalysis,
• Protective coatings,
• Nanoelectronics,
• Ceramic biomaterials,
• Thermoluminescence UV dosimeters,
• Oxygen sensors.