Synthesis and Room Temperature Photoluminescence of Mesoporous Zirconia with a Tetragonal Nanocrystalline Framework

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Mesoporous ZrO2 with a tetragonal (t) nanocrystalline framework was synthesized using zirconium propoxide as the zirconium precursor and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as pore‐directing agent and subsequent calcination of the inorganic/organic intermediate. The Raman spectrum showed six distinct peaks at 146, 268, 325, 480, 615, and 645 cm−1, which further confirm t‐structure of the mesoporous ZrO2. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis reveals that mesoporous ZrO2 prepared at 500°C is template free. The mesoporous t‐ZrO2 possesses narrowly distributed pore size (2–11 nm) with average pore diameter of 5 nm and surface area of 65 m2/g. A photoluminescence band centered at 419 nm under excitation at 285 nm wavelength at room temperature is attributed to the ionized oxygen vacancy in t‐ZrO2 in the mesoporous structure. The combined effects of grain/pore size, oxygen vacancies and mesoporous wall strain–energy play important role in stabilizing the t‐nanocrystalline framework of mesoporous ZrO2. In comparison with the mesoporous ZrO2 materials stabilized by chemical treatment, the present route is simpler and resulted in mesoporous ZrO2 with crystalline framework.