Structural study of zirconia nanoclusters by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy

Monodisperse and uniformly spherical ZrO2 nanostructured clusters have been synthesized by microwave-assisted sol–gel processing. The techniques used produced molecular-structured precipitates from which zirconia nanometric particles were easily obtained. These particles retained their stability during the subsequent separation process. The microwave treatment was proven to be highly beneficial for assisting the sol–gel processing, mainly because of its contribution to the mixed dispersion and thermal effects. The zirconia nanoclusters thus formed were subsequently characterized by high-resolution electron microscopy to study the nanostructural morphology and transformation defects.