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Optical and structural properties of spherical-shaped boehmite and γ-alumina nanoparticles by ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal method: the effects of synthesis route, calcination, and precursor concentration

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Abstract

Aluminium oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are one of the most exciting materials in the world with wide potential for application in foodstuffs, cosmetics, textiles, construction, antibacterial products, industry, etc. In the paper, spherical-shaped boehmite and γ-alumina nanoparticles are successfully synthesized by ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal (UAH) method for the first time and the effects of precursor concentration, calcination, and synthesis route are studied on the optical, structural, and chemical properties. The results declare that agglomerated spherical-shaped orthorhombic-boehmite and cubic γ-alumina NPs are formed in as-synthesized and calcined samples, respectively, by the UAH method with different concentrations of ammonium bicarbonate (AB). Also, the average crystallite sizes of the samples are affected by the concentration of AB. The morphologies of nanoparticles synthesized by UAH are more uniform than the co-precipitation method. Indeed, AB concentration, calcination, and synthesis route affect the optical properties of the nanoparticles significantly. The indirect band gap energies of boehmite and γ-alumina nanoparticles with different AB concentrations are in the range of 3.31–4.58 eV and 2.10–3.46 eV, respectively. Also, the direct band gap energies of the NPs with different AB concentrations are in the range of 4.71–5.46 eV and 2.96–3.6 eV which have a significant difference from the previously reported values. Indeed, the effects of the synthesis route and AB concentration are reflected in the specific surface areas (SSA) of NPs and also the shape and size of pores of the synthesized NPs. The SSA of NPs synthesized by the UAH method is significantly lower than those of the co-precipitation method.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Physics, Semnan University, PO Box 35195-363, Semnan, Iran

    Zahra Gholizadeh, Maryam Aliannezhadi, Mehrdad Ghominejad & Fatemeh Shariatmadar Tehrani

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  1. Zahra Gholizadeh
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  2. Maryam Aliannezhadi
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  3. Mehrdad Ghominejad
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  4. Fatemeh Shariatmadar Tehrani
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Contributions

ZG and MA did Conceptualization, ZG, MA and FST did methodology, ZG and MA applied software, FST investigated validation and ZG did formal analysis, ZG, MA, and FST did the investigation, ZG and MA did data curation, ZG wrote the manuscript, MA, FST and MG did the review and editing, MA and MG are the supervisions of the project and MG and MA are project administrations. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Also, all authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Maryam Aliannezhadi.

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Gholizadeh, Z., Aliannezhadi, M., Ghominejad, M. et al. Optical and structural properties of spherical-shaped boehmite and γ-alumina nanoparticles by ultrasonic-assisted hydrothermal method: the effects of synthesis route, calcination, and precursor concentration. Opt Quant Electron 55, 880 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-023-05157-1

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