Abstract
Gahnite (zinc aluminate) nanoparticle powder is synthesized by a sol–gel method and used to fabricate a microstrip antenna. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the formation of a face-centered cubic gahnite structure with an average crystallite size of 19.92 nm. The surface morphology of the gahnite is analyzed with field-emission scanning electron microscopy. The presence of water molecules and nitrates within the material is confirmed by Fourier transform infrared analysis. The measured dielectric constant, bandgap and unloaded quality factor of the synthesized powder are 8.70, 4.08 eV and 4592, respectively. The performance of the microstrip antenna is evaluated using return loss, (S11) parameter analysis. The measured impedance bandwidth is 760 MHz in the low-frequency band and 8.1 GHz in the high-frequency band. The overall performance demonstrates that the fabricated ceramic is suitable for application in a microstrip antenna.
Graphical Abstract
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Duan X, Yuan D, Sun Z, Sun H, Xu D, Lv M (2003) Synthesis and characterization of ZnAl2O4/SiO2 nanocomposites by sol-gel method. J Cryst Growth 252(1–3):4–8. doi:10.1016/S0022-0248(03)00835-2
Phani AR, Passacantando M, Santucci S (2001) Synthesis and characterization of zinc aluminum oxide thin films by sol-gel technique. Mater Chem Phys 68(1–3):66–71. doi:10.1016/S0254-0584(00)00270-4
Otero Arean C, Sintes Sintes B, Turnes Palomino G, Mas Carbonell C, Escalona Platero E, Parra Soto J (1997) Preparation and characterization of spinel-type high surface area Al2O3–ZnAl2O4 mixed metal oxides by an alkoxide route. Microporous Mater 8(3):187–192
Kurihara LK, Suib SL (1993) Sol-gel synthesis of ternary metal oxides. 1. synthesis and characterization of MAl2O4 (M = Mg, Ni Co, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cd, Ca, Hg, Sr, and Ba) and lead aluminum oxide (Pb2Al2O5). Chem Mater 5(5):609–613. doi:10.1021/cm00029a006
Wu Y, Du J, Choy K-L, Hench LL, Guo J (2005) Formation of interconnected microstructural ZnAl2O4 films prepared by sol-gel method. Thin Solid Films 472(1–2):150–156. doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2004.07.084
Guilhaume N, Primet M (1994) Catalytic combustion of methane: copper oxide supported on high Specific area spinels synthesized by a sol-gel process. J Chem Soc Faraday Trans 90(11):1541–1545
Zawadzki M (2006) Synthesis of nanosized and microporous zinc aluminate spinel by microwave assisted hydrothermal method (microwave–hydrothermal synthesis of ZnAl2O4. Solid State Sci 8(1):14–18
Giannakas A, Vaimakis T, Ladavos A, Trikalitis P, Pomonis P (2003) Variation of surface properties and textural features of spinel ZnAl2O4 and perovskite LaMnO3 nanoparticles prepared via CTAB–butanol–octane–nitrate salt microemulsions in the reverse and bicontinuous states. J Colloid Interface Sci 259(2):244–253
Kumar K, Ramamoorthy K, Koinkar P, Chandramohan R, Sankaranarayanan K (2006) A novel in situ synthesis and growth of ZnAl2O4 thin films. J Cryst Growth 289(1):405–407
Davar F, Salavati-Niasari M (2011) Synthesis and characterization of spinel type zinc aluminate nanoparticles by a modified sol-gel method using new precursor. J Alloys Compd 509(5):2487–2492. doi:10.1016/j.jallcom.2010.11.058
Pandey R, Gale JD, Sampath SK, Recio JM (1999) Atomistic simulation study of spinel oxides: zinc aluminate and zinc gallate. J Am Ceram Soc 82(12):3337–3341
Ciupina V, Carazeanu I, Prodan G (2004) Characterization of ZnAl2O4 nanocrystals prepared by coprecipitation and microemulsion techniques. J Optoelectron Adv Mater 6(4):1317–1322
Tsunooka T, Androu M, Higashida Y, Sugiura H, Ohsato H (2003) Effects of TiO2 on sinterability and dielectric properties of high-Q forsterite ceramics. J Eur Ceram Soc 23(14):2573–2578
Kim JC, Kim MH, Lim JB, Nahm S, Paik JH, Kim JH (2007) Synthesis and microwave dielectric properties of Re3Ga5O12 (Re: Nd, Sm, Eu, Dy, Yb, and Y) Ceramics. J Am Ceram Soc 90(2):641–644
Polo Fonsecaa C, Fantinib MCA, Nevesa S (2005) Improving the electrochemical properties of porous LiCoO2 films obtained by template synthesis. J. Thin Solid Films 488(1–2):68–73
Duan XL, Yuan DR, Wang LH, Yu FP, Cheng XF, Liu ZQ, Yan SS (2006) Synthesis and optical properties of Co2+-doped ZnGa2O4 nanocrystals. J Cryst Growth 296(2):234–238
Khaledi AG, Afshar S, Jahromi HS (2012) Improving ZnAl2O4 structure by using chelating agents. Mater Chem Phys 135(2–3):855–862. doi:10.1016/j.matchemphys.2012.05.070
Zulfakar MS, Abdullah H, Jalal WNW, Zainuddin Z, Idris S (2014) Study of (1 − x) ZnAl2O4–xSiO2 spinel structures as microwave dielectric materials. J Sol–Gel Sci Technol 71(3):413–420
Kumar RT, Selvam N, Ragupathi C, Kennedy LJ, Vijaya JJ (2012) Synthesis, characterization and performance of porous Sr (II)-added ZnAl2O4 nanomaterials for optical and catalytic applications. Powder Technol 224:147–154
Jamal E, Kumar D, Anantharaman MR (2011) On structural, optical and dielectric properties of zinc aluminate nanoparticles. Bull Mater Sci 34(2):251–259. doi:10.1007/s12034-011-0071-y
Davis M, Gümeci C, Alsup R, Korzeniewski C, Hope-Weeks LJ (2012) Facile synthesis of zinc aluminate nanostructures through an epoxide driven sol-gel route. Mater Lett 73:139–142. doi:10.1016/j.matlet.2011.12.098
Cui M, Wu X, Zhuge L, Meng Y (2007) Effects of annealing temperature on the structure and photoluminescence properties of ZnO films. Vacuum 81(7):899–903
Shin J-H, Choi D-K (2008) Effect of oxygen on the optical and the electrical properties of amorphous InGaZnO thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. J Korean Phys Soc 53(4):2019–2023
Mobarak Y, Bassyouni M, Almutawa M (2013) Materials selection, synthesis, and dielectrical properties of PVC nanocomposites. Adv Mater Sci Eng. doi:10.1155/2013/149672
Koops CG (1951) Phys Rev 83(1):121–124
Wagner KW (1913) Ann Phys 345(5):817–855
Zheng Y, Zhao X, Lei W, Wang S (2006) Effects of Bi2O3 addition on the microstructures and microwave dielectric characteristics of Ba6− 3x(Sm0.2Nd0.8)8+ 2xTi18O54(x = 2/3) ceramics. Mater Lett 60(4):459–463
Huang C-L, Hsu C-S, Lin R-J (2001) Improved high-Q microwave dielectric resonator using ZnO and WO3-doped Zr0.8Sn0.2 TiO4 ceramics. Mater Res Bull 36(11):1985–1993
Surendran K, Santha N, Mohanan P, Sebastian M (2004) Temperature stable low loss ceramic dielectrics in (1-x) ZnAl2O4-xTiO2 system for microwave substrate applications. Eur Phys J B-Condens Matter Complex Syst 41(3):301–306
Wan Jalal WN, Abdullah H, Zulfakar MS (2014) Effect of Zn Site for Ca substitution on optical and microwave dielectric properties of ZnAl2O4 thin films by sol gel method. Adv Mater Sci Eng. doi:10.1155/2014/619024
Balanis CA (1982) Antenna theory: analysis and design, vol 3. Wiley, New Jersey
Acknowledgments
This work is supported by the University Research fund under Grant code: DIP-2014-029 and Information and Communication Technology Division, Ministry of Posts, Telecommunication and Information Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rahman, A., Islam, M.T., Zulfakar, M.S. et al. Synthesis and characterization of gahnite-based microwave dielectric ceramics (MDC) for microstrip antennas prepared by a sol–gel method. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 74, 557–565 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-015-3677-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-015-3677-5