Synthesis of Tellurium Dioxide Nanoparticles by Spray Pyrolysis

Abstract

Tellurite glasses (amorphous tellurium dioxide based materials) have two useful optical properties, high refractive index and high optical nonlinearity, that make them attractive for a range of applications. Unlike other metal oxide nanoparticles that are prepared in large quantities by vapor phase processes, Telluria nanoparticles have not been prepared by such methods. Here, we describe the vapor-phase synthesis of telluria nanoparticles from a dilute solution of telluric acid that is dispersed into fine droplets by an atomizer. These droplets are carried through a furnace, where they evaporate and where the precursors react to nucleate telluria particles. The nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, XPS, FTIR and XRD. The effects of operating parameters on nanoparticle composition, production rate and size were also studied. This laboratory-scale process is capable of producing milligram to gram quantities of amorphous telluria nanoparticles with primary particle diameters from 10 to 40 nm.