Issue 45, 2013

Thermal decomposition synthesis of Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles: an in-depth study

Abstract

Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles are synthesized by means of a heating up solution based thermal decomposition method. The synthesis involves a reaction of zinc acetylacetonate hydrate, aluminium acetylacetonate and 1,2-hexadecanediol in the presence of oleic acid and oleyl amine. A proposed reaction mechanism from reagents to monomers is corroborated by analysis of the evolving gases using headspace GC-MS analysis. The Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles synthesized are dynamically stabilized by adsorbed oleate ions, after deprotonation of oleic acid by oleyl amine, as was found by NOESY proton NMR and complementary FTIR spectroscopy. Precession electron diffraction shows a simultaneous increase in lattice parameters with Al concentration. This, together with HAADF-STEM and EDX maps, indicates the incorporation of Al into the ZnO nanoparticles. By the combination of complementary characterization methods during all stages of the synthesis, it is concluded that Al is incorporated into the ZnO wurtzite lattice as a dopant.

Graphical abstract: Thermal decomposition synthesis of Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles: an in-depth study

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Jul 2013
Accepted
27 Sep 2013
First published
18 Oct 2013

RSC Adv., 2013,3, 23745-23754

Thermal decomposition synthesis of Al-doped ZnO nanoparticles: an in-depth study

H. Damm, A. Kelchtermans, A. Bertha, F. Van den Broeck, K. Elen, J. C. Martins, R. Carleer, J. D'Haen, C. De Dobbelaere, J. Hadermann, A. Hardy and M. K. Van Bael, RSC Adv., 2013, 3, 23745 DOI: 10.1039/C3RA43328E

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