Synthesis of stable nanocrystalline cubic zirconia

Nanocrystalline pure cubic zirconia was prepared by precipitation in polymer matrix. The average particle size obtained by this method was smaller than that obtained by aqueous coprecipitation. X-ray diffraction showed that the cubic form is stable in air up to 1173 K and partially stable in an inert argon atmosphere up to 1273 K. The stability of the cubic phase of ZrO2 at such high temperatures was due to the presence of surface and bulk oxygen vacancies present in the nanocrystalline samples. Polymer decomposition during calcination increased oxygen vacancies already present in the nanocrystalline samples.