| Summary: | A series of well-crystallized praseodymium
oxide (Pr6O11) nanoparticles are synthesized via a highly
scalable process from praseodymium nitrate.
Praseodymium hydroxide is synthesized through a
modified polyol process and subsequent calcination in air
at 600°C for 2 h to transform the precursor material into
Pr6O11 nanoparticles. A complete characterization of a
specific sample by SEM, HRTEM, and X-ray diffraction
(XRD) demonstrates that Pr6O11 nanoparticles form
elementary blocks with a calculated size of 118 nm,
containing slightly agglomerated nanocrystalline
particles with a polycrystalline face-centred cubic phase
and an individual size of around 10 nm. Particles can be
easily dispersed in water through ultrasonification.
Particles display a BET Specific Surface Area (SSA; 8.75
m² g-1) with a nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm of
type II and a helium density of powders (d = 5.66 g cm-3).
|
|---|