Textural and Structural Properties of Zirconium Dioxide Depending on Synthesis Methods and Precursor Type

This paper provides a comparative assessment of the influence of the nature of precursors of zirconium dioxide and the methods of its production, including the application of such additional physical and chemical factors as template introduction, ultrasound and hydrothermal ageing, on the textural and structural properties of ZrO2. Methods of producing zirconium dioxide with a small crystallite size ranging from 5 to 9 nm, a specific surface area of approximately 150 m2/g, and a pore volume below 0.25 cm3/g with a narrow size distribution are proposed. It has been established that the phase composition of the ZrO2 samples obtained by different templateless precipitation methods is mainly determined by the method of synthesis. No significant effect of the nature of the ZrO2 (zirconium oxysalts) precursors on the structural properties of the studied samples was observed. The textural and structural properties of the ZrO2 samples, prepared in an aqueous alkaline medium by different template hydrothermal synthesis methods in the presence of cationogenic surfactant - cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), show strong dependence on both the nature of the ZrO2 precursors and the ratio of the main components. It is shown that, when ultrasound and hydrothermal treatment are used for synthesis of ZrO2, a sequence of additional physical factors greatly influences the properties of the obtained samples.