Abstract
In this study, ZrO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized by the hydrothermal method using different precursors and mineralizers. X-ray diffraction revealed that the choice of synthesis components has a significant impact on the phase composition and crystallinity of the resulting ZrO 2 nanoparticles. Raman spectroscopy indicated that varying the combinations of precursors and mineralizers enables the formation of both cubic and tetragonal phases of ZrO 2 within the samples. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the particle size ranges from 4 to 14 nm, with crystalline samples predominantly containing particles in the 5–6 nm range. In amorphous samples, nuclei with sizes between 5 and 10 nm were observed. TGA analysis demonstrated that all samples contain a substantial amount of synthesis by-products, reaching up to 30% of the total mass. Spectroscopic analysis of the optical properties determined that samples with more than 9% by-product content exhibit the highest absorption in the UV subrange. The phase stability of ZrO 2 nanoparticles and the effect of temperature on the crystallization of amorphous samples were estimated using high-temperature X-ray diffraction.