Structure and Micro Structure of Combustion Synthesized MgO Nanoparticles and Nanocrystalline MgO Thin Films Synthesized by Solution Growth Route

Abstract

In this work we describe the synthesis micro structure (XRD, SEM, AFM) of magnesium oxidenano‐particles and magnesium oxide thin films synthesized by urea‐based combustion method and solution growth rout using Magnesium nitrate as the source of Mg. We have used fuel‐to‐oxidizer ratio (ψ) as a control parameter to investigate how lattice parameter, particle size and micro strain vary with Ψ=0.25 to 2. Earlier we have studied NiO as a substitutional solute in MgO.1 The average particle size of MgO was estimated from the full width half maximum (Gaussian and lorentzian fits) of the X‐ray diffraction peaks using Sherrer's formula and Williamson‐Hall plot. The particle size varies from 15 nm (1) to 60 (1) nm as ψ is varied systematically. The surface areas of the MgO powders were measured using BET method. From specific surface area, we calculated the particle size, which is comparable with the crystalline size calculated from XRD. We also calculated porosity and micro strain in the MgO nano‐particles with varying ψ. Thin films of MgO are well characterized from XRD and AFM. The size of the particles and RMS roughness of the thin films were calculated using AFM.