Novel synthesis method for thermally stable monoclinic zirconia: Hydrolysis of zirconium alkoxides at high temperatures with a limited amount of water dissolved in inert organic solvent from the gas phase Original Research Article

Zirconium alkoxide which was thermally pre-treated in an inert organic solvent was hydrolyzed at 250–300°C with a limited amount of water dissolved in the solvent from the gas phase. This procedure afforded microcrystalline (5.8 nm) monoclinic zirconia which showed a high thermal stability and retained large surface areas of 162 and 76 m2/g even after calcination at 500 and 900°C, respectively. Thermal pre-treatment in the absence of water above 250°C was essential to avoid the formation of the tetragonal form.