Facile synthesis of ZrO2 powders: Control of morphology

Tetragonal (t-)ZrO2 rods and spheres were prepared by simple and time-saving low-temperature synthesis and characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The morphology of the product can be changed from rods to spheres by changing the reaction conditions slightly. The t-ZrO2 rods (0.5–0.1 mm approximately) were obtained by topotactic reaction. The work illustrates the utility of Raman spectroscopy as a powerful characterization tool when XRD is not able to conclusively identify the phases.