Abstract
Three ZnAl2O4 samples were prepared via a modified polyacrylamide gel method using a citric acid solution with different aluminum salt starting materials, including AlCl3∙6H2O, Al2(SO4)3∙18H2O, and Al(NO3)3∙9H2O under identical conditions. The influence of different aluminum salts on the morphologies, phase purity, and optical and fluorescence properties of the as-prepared ZnAl2O4 nanoparticles were studied. The experimental results demonstrate that the phase purity, particle size, morphology, and optical and fluorescence properties of ZnAl2O4 nanoparticles can be manipulated by the use of different aluminum salts as starting materials. The energy bandgap (Eg) values of ZnAl2O4 nanoparticles increase with a decrease in particle size. The fluorescence spectra show that a major blue emission band around 400 nm and two weaker side bands located at 410 and 445 nm are observed when the excitation wavelength is 325 nm. The ZnAl2O4 nanoparticles prepared from Al(NO3)3∙9H2O exhibit the largest emission intensity among the three ZnAl2O4 samples, followed in turn by the ZnAl2O4 nanoparticles prepared from Al2(SO4)3∙18H2O and AlCl3∙6H2O. These differences are attributed to combinational changes in Eg and the defect types of the ZnAl2O4 nanoparticles.
Highlights
Values of ZnAl2O4 nanoparticles increase with a decrease in particle size
In the case of the sample obtained by sintering the xerogel at 900 °C, all of the organic peaks disappear except for the H− O− H peak (1633 cm −1). These results indicate that the effects of aluminum salts and sintering temperature on the phase purity of ZnAl2O4 cannot be neglected
The results indicate that the reaction (1) cannot occur at 600 °C, and that a higher sintering temperature is needed for the formation of pure ZnAl2O4 nanoparticles
Summary
Values of ZnAl2O4 nanoparticles increase with a decrease in particle size. The fluorescence spectra show that a major blue emission band around 400 nm and two weaker side bands located at 410 and 445 nm are observed when the excitation wavelength is 325 nm. Most previously reported studies have only used a single aluminum salt as a starting material and have not investigated the influences of different aluminum salts on the morphology, structure, and optical and fluorescence properties of the obtained ZnAl2O4. Three different aluminum salts are used as starting materials to synthesize three ZnAl2O4 gels via a polyacrylamide gel route, aqueous solutions of citric acid with Al2(SO4)3∙18H2O, AlCl3∙6H2O, or Al(NO3)3∙9H2O were used under identical conditions. In order to obtain superfine nanoparticles, N,N’-methylene-bisacrylamide was used as a cross-linking agent, and glucose was used to prevent gel collapse After sintering these xerogels, three ZnAl2O4 nanostructure samples were obtained. The objective of the present work is to investigate the influence of different aluminum salt starting materials on the resulting ZnAl2O4 nanostructures and on their optical and fluorescence properties
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