Solvothermal synthesis and characterization of ZrO2 nanostructures using zirconium precursor

Zirconia (ZrO2) is an important metal oxide owing to its applications in a variety of fields. Herein, we report the solvothermal synthesis of ZrO2 nanostructures including nanorods, linked nanorods, and nanosheets. Aqueous solutions of [Zr6O4(OH)4(H2O)8(Gly)8]·12Cl·8H2O (CP-2) or a mixture of CP-2 and ZrOCl2·8H2O containing NaOH were employed as the zirconium sources while Triton X-100, Tween-80 and sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) were included to modify the morphology of the final product. Single-phase monoclinic ZrO2 nanostructures could be obtained by the solvothermal method at 200 °C for 24 h independent of the presence or absence of Triton X-100, Tween-80 and SDS. However, the addition of Triton X-100, Tween-80 and SDS influenced the morphology of the resulting ZrO2 nanostructures without affecting the crystal phase of the product.