The effect of fuel and fuel-oxidizer combinations on ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by solution combustion technique

•ZnO powder was prepared by SCT using new eco friendly and cost effective organic fuels.•Effect of fuel and F/O on the characteristics of ZnO nanoparticles was investigated.•Adiabatic temperature (Tad) was calculated through Thermodynamic theoretical calculations.•Correlation was established between Tad, combustion process and structural properties.

We report on the synthesis of nanocrystalline ZnO particles by solution combustion technique using new organic fuels such as l-Glutamine, Leucine and l-Valine. The thermal decomposition and combustion of nitrate-organic fuels (precursors) were investigated through TG-DTA and XRD techniques. The results show that, the nitrate-organic fuel (precursor) gels exhibit self-propagating behavior at 400 °C after ignition in air. The effect of fuel and fuel to oxidizer ratio on structural properties of as-synthesized ZnO powder was investigated. It was observed that, the particle size of as-synthesized ZnO powder depends on F/O ratio, which influences the combustion process. The detailed analysis on the structure of as-synthesized ZnO powder was carried out by Rietveld refinement on XRD data and through TEM studies. Further, adiabatic temperature (Tad) was calculated through thermodynamic theoretical calculations for different fuel to oxidizer ratios. The results were discussed on the basis of the correlations established between the Tad, nature of the combustion and structural properties of the resulting powders.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide