Synthesis, Thermal Stability and Properties of ZnO₂ Nanoparticles

Abstract

ZnO2nanoparticles have been synthesized by an organometallic precursor method. The structure, structural stability, and magnetic and optical properties of ZnO2 nanoparticles have been investigated by experiments and first-principles calculations. It is found that ZnO2 nanoparticles decompose into ZnO at about 230 °C and is stable up to 36 GPa at ambient temperature. The cubic ZnO2 phase has a bulk modulus of B0 = 174 GPa at zero pressure. Nanocrystalline ZnO2 material is an indirect semiconductor with an energy gap of about 4.5 eV and paramagnetic down to 5 K.