Synthesis and characterization of wide band gap nickel oxide (NiO) powder via a facile route

Here we report facile synthesis of Nano sized nickel oxide (NiO) powder via wet chemical method. The structural and optical properties have been investigated via XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis, SEM and EDS as a function of temperature (200 °C-700 °C), which peculiarly dictates the phase transformation and densification of the NiO nanoparticles. A theoretical evaluation of average particle size (APS) and the specific surface area (SSA) of the NiO nanoparticles was carried out based on the XRD data. The data confirms the purity of the crystalline index particularly beyond 400 °C.The SEM images identify cubic phase crystalline structures with grain boundaries clearly diffusing into each other as a result of agglomeration beyond 400 °C. Our proposed one-step method of synthesis promises high electrical, thermal and optical quality NiO nanoparticles for a wide range of optoelectronic applications.