Synthesis, microstructure and optical characterization of zirconium oxide nanostructures

Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanostructures were synthesized by hydrothermal route. Surface morphology analysis depicts the formation of the nanobars and hexagonal-shaped nanodiscs at different synthesis conditions. The structural analysis confirms that the as-synthesized ZrO2 product is of pure monoclinic phase (m-ZrO2) with crystallite size of about 25 nm. The product consists of monodispersed nanoparticles of uniform composition, high purity, and crystallinity. The Raman spectra are quantitatively analyzed and the observed peaks are attributed to various vibration modes of the m-ZrO2. The UV–vis absorption spectrum showed a strong absorption peak at about 292 nm and the estimated optical band gap was around 3.57 eV. Photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of ZrO2 nanostructure showed a strong and broad emission peak at around 410 nm at room temperature, which can be attributed to the ionized oxygen vacancy in the material.