Size-controlled synthesis of spherical ZrO2 nanoparticles by reverse micelles-mediated sol-gel process

Spherical ZrO2 nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized by a reverse micelles (RMs)-mediated sol-gel process. Hydrolysis of zirconium n-propanol solution was confined in the microreactors made of water/cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB)/cyclohexane/n-butanol RMs, as well as investigating the template effects of RMs in particle size and shape control. It was found that there was significant particle size and shape replication between RMs and ZrO2 nanoparticles after polycondensation, indicating that the RMs microreactors stabilized by surfactants could control the nucleation, growth and agglomeration process during the hydrolysis and thus the size and shape of ZrO2 nanoparticles. Furthermore, spherical ZrO2 nanoparticles could be customized in the range of 10–30 nm, and their roundness value was greater than 0.90.