Novel synthetic method for the catalytic use of thermally stable zirconia: thermal decomposition of zirconium alkoxides in organic media

Abstract

Thermal treatment of zirconium n-propoxide in glycol at 300°C yielded microcrystalline tetragonal zirconia (ZrO 2). The crystallite size of the product depended on the carbon number of the glycol and increased in the following order (carbon number of glycol): 2<6<4. Zirconium isopropoxide also decomposed in toluene giving tetragonal zirconia while zirconium n-propoxide did not, which suggests that the reaction in toluene depends on the structure of the alkyl group of the alkoxides. Tetragonal zirconias obtained in this manner maintained large surface areas (90–160 m 2/g) even after calcination at 500°C.