Zirconia Nanostructures Research Articles

Two step synthesis of fluorescent zirconia oxide amorphous nanosheets for highly sensitive detection of a cancer marker

This study has reported the first-ever fluorescent 2D amorphous zirconia nanosheets (ZrO2 NS) synthesis approach and their utilization for the detection of tyrosine. We have reported a novel yet simple approach to the synthesis approach by dissolving ZrCl4 in ethanol followed by the reduction with the use of sodium hydroxide. It is suggested that NaOH partially reduces Zr4+ and for Zr–OH conjugates finally forming ZrO2 sheet structure by Cl− templating due to the high affinity of reduced Zr towards oxygen. The as-synthesized 2D amorphous zirconia nanosheet suspension in ethanol resulted in a blue color fluorescence with an emission maximum of 430 nm. This nanosheet system shows a unique quenching property by tyrosine in both PBS buffer and human blood serum. This system was utilized to develop a fluorometric sensing platform for a cancer biomarker, tyrosine. The system showed firm results in 1–100 nM range with a LOD of 14.9 nM in human blood serum and 8.4 nM in PBS. This study has opened a new insight into utilizing 2D amorphous zirconia nanostructures in a novel way and also it creates a platform for using the 2D amorphous NS as a biosensor to detect cancer markers in the medical and biomedicine fields too.

Conventional sintering of nano-crystalline Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia enables high-strength, highly translucent and opalescent dental ceramics

Development of restorative materials capable of mimicking optical and mechanical performance of natural teeth is a quest in aesthetic density. Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) ceramics represent one of the most popular choices for dental restorations, owing to their biocompatibility, white colour, and the possibility to use CAD-CAM technologies. In particular, YSZ doped with 3 mol. % yttria (3YSZ) is popular because it presents high strength. Nonetheless, the limited light transmission of commercially available high strength 3YSZ does not meet the requirements of highly aesthetic cases. On the other side, YSZ presenting a larger portion of yttria are more translucent but exhibit modest strength. Here, we report on fabrication of dense zirconia nanostructures in bulk form via conventional pressure-less sintering at temperatures down to 1100–1200 °C, achieving highly translucent and strong 3YSZ with significant opalescent behaviour. Both Hall−Petch and inverse Hall-Petch relationship were observed in 3YSZ samples with average grain size in the range of 250 nm and 55 nm, demonstrating the importance of grain size control to enhance both optical and mechanical properties of zirconia ceramics, simultaneously. Maximum biaxial strength of 1980 ± 260 MPa, in-line light transmission of 38% in the visible spectrum and opalescence approaching that of enamel were obtained at optimum grain size of 80 ± 5 nm. The notable optical properties are linked to the miniaturization of the residual pores and refinement of grain size towards the nanoscale while the superior mechanical strength is justified by the activation of different energy dissipation processes at nano and macroscale.

Synergistic integration of ZrO2-enriched reduced graphene oxide-based nanostructures for advanced photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride.

The escalating demand for the antibiotic drug tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) contributes to an increased release of its residues into land and water bodies, which poses risks to both aquatic life and human health. Therefore, it is precedence to effectively degrade TCH residues to protect environment from their long-term impacts. In this aspect, the present study entails the synthesis of zirconia (ZrO2) nanostructures and focuses on the enhancement in the catalytic performance of ZrO2 nanostructures by employing reduced graphene oxide (RGO) as a solid support to synthesize ZrO2-enriched RGO-based photocatalysts (ZrO2-RGO) for the degradation of TCH. The study delves into comprehensive spectroscopic and microscopic investigations and their photodegradation assessments. Powder XRD and HR-TEM studies depicted the phase crystallinity and also displayed uniform distribution of ZrO2 nanostructures with spherical morphology within ZrO2-RGO. This corresponds to high surface-to-volume ratios, providing a substantial number of active sites for light absorption and generation of e--h+ pairs. Moreover, the heterojunctions created between RGO and ZrO2 nanostructures promoted the interspecies electron transfer which prolonged the recombination time of e- and h+ than pure ZrO2 nanostructures, accounted for enhanced degradation of TCH using ZrO2-RGO. The photocatalytic activity of as-synthesized materials were examined under visible and UV light irradiation.Thedegradation efficiency of ~ 73.82% was achieved using ZrO2-RGO-based photocatalystwith rate constant k = 0.007023 min-1 under visible-light illumination.Moreover, under UV-light, the degradation rate was explicated to be k = 0.01017 min-1 with ~ 85.56% degradation of TCH antibiotics within 180 mins. Hence, the synthesized ZrO2-enriched RGO-based photocatalysts represents a promising potential for the effective degradation of pharmaceutical compounds, particularly TCH under visible and UV-light irradiation.

Random, aligned and grassy: Bioactivity and biofilm analysis of Zirconia nanostructures as dental implant modification

Zirconium (Zr)-based implants are rapidly gaining popularity due to their excellent physical, mechanical and biological properties. While Zr-based dental implants have shown promising outcomes, their performance may be suboptimal, especially in compromised conditions. To address this, conventional Zr implants have been modified via physical, chemical and biological means to augment cellular functions to achieve enhanced osseointegration, soft-tissue integration and local therapy. In this study, we fabricated controlled ZrO2 nanostructures (ZONs), including aligned nanopores, random nanopores and nanograss, on clinically relevant micro-machined and rough Zr surfaces via optimized electrochemical anodization. In-depth surface topographical and chemical characterization was performed to confirm the formation of ZONs. Further, the bioactivity performance of ZONs was investigated in vitro using primary human osteoblasts, and the effect on salivary polymicrobial biofilms was explored. The findings revealed that nano-engineered Zirconia augments the activity of osteoblasts without increasing biofilm formation. Anodized nano-engineered Zirconia implants are proposed as potential next-generation dental implants, featuring enhanced healing properties without promoting biofilm formation.

Electrospinning synthesis and characterization of zirconia nanofibers annealed at different temperatures

The main goal of this study was to produce, in a two-step process, ceramic nanofibers, which were obtained by electrospinning of composite fibrous mats and high-temperature thermal treatment at temperatures of 500 and 600 °C. The next step was to determine the effect of the nanofibers calcination temperature on the morphology and surface, structural and optical properties and photocatalytic activity of zirconia nanostructures. For this purpose, ZrO2 500 and ZrO2 600 were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption isotherms specific surface tests. The structure of zirconium oxide nanofibers was investigated using X-ray diffraction, which confirmed highly crystalline nature of the materials and the presence of two crystalline phases - monoclinic and tetragonal. Analysis of optical properties, carried out on the basis of graphs of absorbance as a function of wavelength, revealed width of the optical band gap equal to 4.9 and 5.6 eV for nanostructures calcined at 500 and 600 °C, respectively. The nanofibers with a lower energy gap and a higher specific surface area degraded 38.47 % of methylene blue in an aqueous solution under ultraviolet radiation within 210 min.

Emerging Multimodel Zirconia Nanosystems for High‐Performance Biomedical Applications

Advancement in nanotechnology supports system development to achieve rapid, affordable, and intelligent health management and has raised the urgent demand to explore multimodel affordable metal oxide nanostructures with the features of biocompatible tunable performance and scaled‐up processing. Keeping this as a motivation, zirconia nanostructures (Zr‐NSs) are emerging as nanostructures of choice for advanced biomedical applications due to affordable, scalable production, easy surface modifications, tunable surface morphology, multiphase stability, and acceptability by biological features such as biocompatibility, viability for bioactives, and a high isoelectric point of 9.5. Zr‐NSs, alone and in the form of hybrids, and nanocomposites have demonstrated notable high performance to develop next‐generation biosensors, implanted materials, and bioelectronics. However, their excellent salient features toward high‐performance biomedical system development are not well articulated in the form of a review. To overcome this knowledge gap, herein an attempt is made to summarize state‐of‐the‐art Zr‐NS preparation techniques as per targeted applications, surface functionalization of Zr‐NSs to achieve desired properties, and applications of Zr‐NSs in the field of biomedicine for health wellness. The challenges, possible solutions, and authors’ viewpoints considering prospects in mind are also part of this report.

Photoluminescence and structural properties of zirconium dioxide thin films produced by RF sputtering technique

In this study, Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) thin films were produced by using radio frequency magnetron sputtering method on glass substrate at various pressures. The effects of growth pressure on the characteristics of grown Zirconia nanostructures were investigated by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Uv-Visible Spectroscopy and Photoluminescence Spectrometry (PL). XRD analysis showed that peaks of the monoclinic and tetragonal phases were more effective at low growth pressure, but different monoclinic phase peaks were present at increasing growth pressures. The surface morphological properties of the films such as average and maximum roughness, changed significantly with increasing growth pressure, and the maximum peak height first increased to 40 nm and then decreased to 20 nm. The optical transmittance of these thin films was examined in the 450–1100 nm wavelength range, covering both the visible and near-infrared spectral range, and it was found to be approximately 95% at 550 nm wavelength, and the optical band gaps were calculated to be approximately 3.26 eV by PL analyses. Uv-Visible spectroscopy analysis showed that the refractive index of the Zirconia films decreases from 2.09 to 1.79 with increasing wavelength of the incident photon. ZrO2 thin films are considered potential materials for transparent electronic devices because of their high transmittance value.

Improved thermal stability of zirconia macroporous structures via homogeneous aluminum oxide doping and nanostructuring using atomic layer deposition

Dopants are regularly used in sol-gel and powder metallurgy routes, however, the controlled insertion of such is quite challenging, especially in the case of nanostructures. Here we investigate the use of atomic layer deposition (ALD) as a potential technique to precisely introduce aluminum oxide as dopant or second phase into zirconia 3D macroporous nanostructures. The results show that the introduction of high Al2O3 contents into the zirconia nanostructures successfully inhibited sintering when in comparison to undoped zirconia. Moreover, for the multi-nanolaminated and full-mix structures, the tetragonal phase was stabilized up to 1200 °C. Furthermore, the structures presented a photonic band gap even after heat treatment at 1200 °C for 2 h, enabling its application as inverse opal photonic crystals in high-temperature environments. The enhancement of thermal stability and high-temperature tetragonal phase stabilization is enabled jointly by the nanostructuring and homogeneous distribution of aluminum oxide provided by ALD super-cycles.

Enhancement of Oxidation of Formic Acid through Application of Zirconia Matrix for Immobilization of Noble Metal Catalytic Nanoparticles

Electrocatalytic activity of common noble metal (platinum, bimetallic platinum-ruthenium and palladium) nanoparticles (both unsupported and supported on Vulcan carriers) toward electrooxidation of formic acid in acid medium (0.5 mol dm–3 H2SO4) can be significantly enhanced by dispersing them over thin film of zirconia (ZrO2). The enhancement effects concern increases of the electrocatalytic current densities (normalized against the mass of noble metal catalysts) recorded under both cyclic voltammetric and chronoamperometric conditions. The observations can be rationalized in terms of the ability of zirconia nanostructures to provide active hydroxyl groups capable of inducing the removal of the inhibiting COOH or CO type adsorbates from their surfaces. The role of Vulcan carriers is in improving electronic conductivity, in addition to facilitating distribution of catalytic metal sites at the electrocatalytic interface. Regarding dissimilar mechanisms for HCOOH oxidations at Pt, PtRu and Pd nanoparticles, the activating capabilities of zirconia differ depending on the potential applied thus reflecting distinct nature of electronic or chemical interactions. Specific interactions between the zirconia support and noble metal nanoparticles are also possible, particularly in the case of Pd-based catalysts where the enhancement effects are the most pronounced. Finally, it should be emphasized that, historically, representatives of Russian school of electrochemistry, including V.S. Bagotsky, were one of the first world-wide who investigated the formic acid oxidation and emphasized the importance of metal—support interactions during electrooxidation of small organic molecules at noble metal nanoparticles.

Effect of NaOH on the preparation of two-dimensional flake-like zirconia nanostructures

The monolayer flake-like zirconia was prepared by a clean molten salt method, which does not require any adsorbent and template. The effects of NaOH on the composition, morphology and structure of zirconia were studied by XRD, IR, Raman, FE-SEM and TEM. The nanostructures synthesized under 2 wt% NaOH exhibit definite flake-like geometry with a large percentage of (001) plane, which measure approximately 1.8 μm long and 80 nm thick. This concomitant phase and morphology change originate from the martensite transformation of metastable tetragonal zirconia. The as-prepared zirconia sheet has potential utility in fields as diverse as chemical adsorption and photocatalysis.

Micro and Nanostructure Surface and Interface Characterization of Anodized Zr in Two Different Electrolytes

The present work reports on the morphologies and properties of anodized Zr in two different electrolytes. The Zr phosphates (?-ZP) obtained in the inorganic electrolyte containing H3PO4+NaF and zirconia (ZrO2) nanostructures formed in the organic glycerol-based electrolytewere investigated by SEM, FT-IR and AFM. The surface analysis was completed by contact angles measurements. It was found that the type of electrolyte along with the applied voltage influence the structure of the sample and being more precise, the anodic oxidation in H3PO4 electrolyte promotes the evolution of flaky structures and eventually of pores by increasing the applied voltage, while the anodizing performed in glycerol-based electrolyte results in the formation of nanoporous structures that evolve into nanotubes as the applied voltage grows. Based on experimental data a film forming mechanism for ?-ZP and ZrO2 was proposed and correlated to analyzed surface properties.

Preparation of a high surface area zirconium oxide for fuel cell application

Stable and high surface area zirconium oxide nanoparticles have been synthesised by means of the hydrothermal method. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller results show that a high surface area of 543 m2/g was obtained in the hydrothermal process, having a high porosity in nanometre range. The hydrothermal method was applied at 120 °C by using an autoclave with a Teflon liner at an ambient pressure for 48 h. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy shows the different morphologies of zirconia nanoparticles, which could be categorised as one-dimensional and zero-dimensional, as they had a high crystallite orientation, which was also confirmed by the X-ray diffraction (XRD). The mixture of two types of cubic phases in one sample was obtained from XRD and confirmed by the zirconia nanostructure, showing the stable phase of fluorite, which has full cubic symmetry (Im-3m), and also an Arkelite zirconia nanostructure, showing the stable phase of fluorite, which has full cubic symmetry (Fm-3m). The XRD results also show the different structure orientations of face-centred cubic and body-centred cubic in one sample.

Mesoporous zirconia nanostructures (MZN) for adsorption of As(III) and As(V) from aqueous solutions.

Mesoporous zirconia nanostructures (MZN) were synthesized by hydrothermal method to efficiently remove highly mobile and toxic arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) from aqueous solutions. The as-synthesized MZN were characterized by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) techniques. The batch adsorption experimental results showed that the As(III) and As(V) removal capacities of the MZN were 105.03 and 110.29 mg/g, respectively, under neutral pH conditions, which were better than many recently reported adsorbents. The adsorption behavior of As(III) and As(V) on the MZN could be well described by pseudo-second-order and Langmuir isotherms models. Moreover, As(III) and As(V) adsorption on the MZN was spontaneous and endothermic. Some of the common co-existing ions had slightly affected the arsenic removal proficiency of MZN. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to investigate the adsorption mechanism of As(III) and As(V) on the as-synthesized MZN. The as-synthesized MZN demonstrated quite fast and good treatment of simulated real arsenic (As(III,V)) contaminated water. This study suggested that the as-synthesized MZN are potential candidate for practical applications of As(III) and As(V) removal from the aqueous solutions.

Nanostructural features of anodic zirconia synthesized using different temperature modes

Nanotubular and nanoporous structures of ZrO2 were synthesized by potentiostatic anodization with varying the temperatures of anode in the range of TA = 0 – 90 °C and electrolyte in the range of TEl = 20 – 50 °C. It was shown that difference between TA and TEl had significant influence on growth rate and morphology type of zirconia nanostructures. Optimal parameters of thermal modes for nanotubular ZrO2 synthesis were discussed.

An Amperometric Sensor for Thiocholine Based on Cluster-Assembled Zirconia Modified Electrodes.

Here we report on the fabrication and characterization of cluster-assembled nanostructured zirconia electrodes for the electrochemical detection of enzymatically produced thiocholine. Zirconia nanostructures are produced by Supersonic Cluster Beam Deposition on thin gold films. This technique enables nanoscale control of the deposited film surface morphology, providing high active surface area for electrochemical detection of the analyte, along with high double-layer capacitance and suitable charge transfer resistance of the system. The electrochemical behavior of the electrodes has been characterized in the presence of the Potassium ferricyanide/Potassium ferrocyanide redox couple and the system performance showed to be enhanced starting from a thickness of the deposited layer of 60 nm. The electrochemical response for the oxidation of an enzymatic product was assessed by means of cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and chronoamperometry. The nanostructured zirconia film yields a good electrochemical detection of thiocholine. The limit of detection for thiocholine under working potential of 0.810-0.820 V versus reference was found to be comprised between 0.25 μM and 1.3 μM. Nanostructured electrodes, combining gold and zirconia nanoparticles can be implemented as functional transducers in biosensing devices, for example based on Acetylcholinesterase for electrochemical detection of polluting agents.

Theory of Ferromagnetism in Reduced ZrO2-x Nanoparticles.

Bulk ZrO2 is both nonreducible and nonmagnetic. Recent experimental results show that dopant-free, oxygen-deficient ZrO2–x nanostructures exhibit a ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature (RT). Here, we provide a comprehensive theoretical foundation for the observed RT ferromagnetism of zirconia nanostructures. ZrO2 nanoparticles containing up to 700 atoms (3 nm) have been studied with the help of density functional theory. Oxygen vacancies in ZrO2 nanoparticles form more easily than in bulk zirconia and result in electrons trapped in 4d levels of low-coordinated Zr ions. Provided the number of these sites exceeds that of excess electrons, the resulting ground state is high spin and the ordering is ferromagnetic. The work provides a general basis to explain magnetism in intrinsically nonmagnetic oxides without the help of dopants.

Effect of the Sulfated Zirconia Nanostructure Characteristics on Physicochemical and Electrochemical Properties of SPEEK Nanocomposite Membranes for PEM Fuel Cell Applications

AbstractThis study expresses that the characteristics of sulfated zirconia (SZ) nanostructure in sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK)‐based membranes is the key to optimize their properties for fuel cell applications. Two types of SZ treating in different thermal conditions are produced by precipitation and analyzed by X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. Sulfate concentration on both types of SZ is changing from 0.54 to 1.45 wt% and thus the SZ samples differ in particle size and sulfate content. The nanocomposite membranes are prepared by incorporating 6 wt% of SZ samples into SPEEK matrix in casting procedure followed by performing electrochemical characterizations and impedance spectroscopy. Moreover, morphology, mechanical, and chemical stability of the membranes are investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy, stress–strain, and ex situ Fenton's tests. The incorporation of SZ sample having more surface sulfate groups in the SPEEK matrix results in not only excessive oxidative stability and tensile strength but also more acidic sites for ion transport, promoting conductivity. Furthermore, both types of nanocomposite membranes show improved ionic conductivity and water affinity with a lower tendency to swell rather than the plain SPEEK membrane. It is proved that desired consequences of doping SZ into SPEEK matrix can be intensified by changing the physicochemical properties of sulfated zirconia nanoparticles.

Conductivity of Yittria-Stabilized Zirconia Nanostructure Electrolyte for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Application by Using RF Magnetron Sputtering

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films were deposited successfully using RF magnetron sputtering. The substrate had been used are sapphire glass. A pure ceramic of Zr-Y is synthesized and processed into a planar magnetron target which is reactively sputtered with an Argon-Oxygen gas mixture to form Zr-Y-O nanostructure. The aim of this research is to study the conductivity and roughness YSZ thin film by using RF magnetron sputtering by varying the temperature deposition parameter. By lowering the YSZ thin film into nanostructure would enable for SOFC to be operate at lower temperature below 400°C. The YSZ nanostructure were controlled by varying the deposition parameters, including the deposition temperature and the substrate used. The crystalline of YSZ structure at 100W and temperature 300°C. The surface morphology of the films proved that at 300°C temperature rate deposition showed optimum growth morphology and density of YSZ thin films. Besides, the high deposition subtrate temperature affected the thickness of YSZ thin film at 80nm by using surface profiler. A higher rate of deposition is achievable when the sputtering mode of the Zr-Y target is metallic as opposed to oxide. YSZ is synthesizing to obtain the optimum thin film for SOFC application.

Size, morphology and optical properties of zirconia (ZrO2) nanostructures synthesized via the facile ionic surfactant-assisted solvothermal method

Zirconia (ZrO2) nanostructures, assisted by various ionic surfactants were successfully achieved via the facile ionic surfactants-assisted solvothermal method with the average crystallite size of 7.09–15.22 nm. The spherical, cauliflower-petal and needle-like nanostructures were confirmed by SEM studies and possible growth mechanisms of the nanostructures were proposed. The increasing trends of the band gap energy confirm the quantum confinement effect for the prepared samples. The strong UV emission in photoluminescence of the prepared samples indicates the high purity, perfect crystallinity and is good candidate material for optoelectronic devices.

Fabrication of Ultra-Small Zirconia Nano-Islands Using Thermal Atomic Layer Deposition

Zirconia (ZrO2) nanostructures have been used in various applications such as protective barriers in optics, interference filters, photo-catalysts, oxygen sensors, in addition to buffer layers or gate oxides in microelectronic devices, etc. All of these applications of ZrO2 are based on the outstanding mechanical, physical, electronic, optical, and chemical properties exhibited by this oxide. ZrO2 can be synthesized and deposited by various methods such as thermal decomposition, sol-gel synthesis, hydrothermal synthesis, and precipitation [1]. It is reported that the synthesis method affects the crystallinity and morphological structure of ZrO2 which would affect the electronic and optical properties of the material such as the bandgap, the light harvesting capability, the lifetime of electron-hole pairs, etc. and therefore affect the performance of the devices where ZrO2 is used [2]. Therefore, a good manipulation of the ZrO2 structure and properties is needed in order to reach the application goals. ZrO2 is well known to have three polymorphs with three different bandgap values [3]: monoclinic (3.25 eV), tetragonal (3.58 eV), and cubic (4.33 eV) [4]. Moreover, the dielectric constant of the cubic and tetragonal polymorphs is reported to be higher than the monoclinic and amorphous ZrO2. In this work, we study the deposition of ZrO2 nanoislands using thermal Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and their structural and optical and electronic properties are investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer, and Raman spectroscopy. As a matter of fact, it is known that the growth rate and growth mode in ALD are affected by the chemistry of the substrate surface in addition to the deposition process parameters such as temperature, pressure, precursors, and precursor’s dose times. In this work, three different samples are used as the substrate, each having a different substrate termination: (1) Si with native SiO2, (2) Si after etching the native oxide with HF, and (3) Si with 4-nm Al2O3 deposited by ALD. Moreover, the effect of different deposition temperatures (150°C, 200°C, and 250°C), Zr precursor dose times (30 ms, 165 ms, and 300 ms) and number of cycles (20, 30 and 40 cycles) on the deposited film is analyzed. AFM AC-in-Air mode is conducted for the different samples, and it is found that nano-islands are obtained on the three substrates under the following deposition conditions: temperature of 250°C, Zr dose time of 300 ms, and a pressure of 300 mtorr. On the substrates (1) and (3), nanoislands with different sizes were obtained with 20 and 30 cycles, while 40 cycles leads to a continuous layer. On substrate (2) which is pre-treated with HF and therefore has a hydrophobic –H terminated surface, only 20 cycles showed the growth of nanoislands while 30 and 40 cycles showed continuous layers. The reason for the nanoislands growth is investigated and found to be based on the agglomeration of the adsorbed atoms (ad-atoms), in fact, at 250°C, the ad-atoms have enough energy and mobility which allows them to migrate and form nanoislands [5]. The non-availability of nanoislands at lower deposition temperatures further confirms this analysis. The Raman measurements and TEM imaging on the islands show that they are polycrystalline. In addition, the transmittance and reflectance spectra are measured using the UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer and the well-established method “Kubelka-Munk” is used to extract the bandgap of the islands and it is found to be around 4.2 eV which is in between the bandgap values of the cubic and tetragonal-ZrO2 reported in literature. Finally, the obtained results in this work are important for fabricating nanoislands and understanding the behavior of different devices with ZrO2 nano-islands such as non-volatile memory devices with Zirconia nano-islands as the charge trapping layer or solar cells with Zirconia nanoislands as a light trapping scheme. The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support for this work provided by the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and the Office of Naval Research global grant N62909-16-1-2031. N.E.A. acknowledges L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Middle East Fellowship. [1] Sohn JR et al., Surface Characterization of chromium oxide zirconia catalyst. Langmuir, vol. 126, p. 31, 1993. [2] Sreethawong T. et al, Synthesis of crystalline mesoporous-assembled ZrO2 nanoparticles via a facile surfactant-aided sol-gel process and their photocatalytic dye degradation activity. Chem. Eng. Journal, 228256-62, 2013. [3] Gao PT et al., Study of ZrO2-Y2O3 films prepared by RF magnetron reactive sputtering. Thin Solid Films pp. 37732-6, 2000. [4] Basahel et al., Nanoscale Research Letters, vol. 10, p. 73, 2015. [5] Ritala, M.; Leskela, M. Handbook of Thin Film Materials; Academic Press: San Diego, CA, 2002.