Abstract
The drawback of the hydrothermal technique is driven by the fact that it is a time-consuming operation, which greatly impedes its commercial application. To overcome this issue, conventional hydrothermal synthesis can be improved by the implementation of microwaves, which should result in enhanced process kinetics and, at the same time, pure-phase and homogeneous products. In this study, nanometric zinc aluminate (ZnAl2O4) with a spinel structure was obtained by a hydrothermal method using microwave reactor. The average ZnAl2O4 crystallite grain size was calculated from the broadening of XRD lines. In addition, BET analysis was performed to further characterize the as-synthesized particles. The synthesized materials were also subjected to microscopic SEM and TEM observations. Based on the obtained results, we concluded that the grain sizes were in the range of 6–8 nm. The surface areas measured for the samples from the microwave reactor were 215 and 278 m2 g−1.
Highlights
Spinels are a group of compounds with the general formula AB2O4, where A is a divalent metal (Zn, Mg, Fe or Mn) and B is a trivalent metal (Al, Fe, Cr or Mn)
Zinc-aluminum spinel can be obtained by various methods, such as sol–gel [6–12], hydrothermal methods [13–20], co-precipitation [21–26], combustion methods [27–30] and solvothermal synthesis [31–33]
It is worth noting that hydrothermal synthesis is the simplest method to obtain spinels with nanometric grain size
Summary
Spinels are a group of compounds with the general formula AB2O4, where A is a divalent metal (Zn, Mg, Fe or Mn) and B is a trivalent metal (Al, Fe, Cr or Mn). Zinc-aluminum spinel can be obtained by various methods, such as sol–gel [6–12], hydrothermal methods [13–20], co-precipitation [21–26], combustion methods [27–30] and solvothermal synthesis [31–33]. Implementation of these methods resulted in splines with a size distribution ranging from 15 to 100 nm. It is worth noting that hydrothermal synthesis is the simplest method to obtain spinels with nanometric grain size. This method usually needs a long process time and low temperature. Conventional hydrothermal synthesis can be improved by the implementation of microwaves, which results in a faster increase in temperature and process kinetics and the generation of pure-phase and homogeneous products
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
