Obtaining YSZ nanoparticles by the sol–gel method with sucrose and pectin as organic precursors

Production of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) nanoparticles with the sol–gel method using new organic precursors: sucrose and pectin, which are abundant and cost effective, is described. Different analyses of the produced nanoparticles are presented. The crystal structure is analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The sintering process is studied by thermal analysis (TA), and suggestions are made for processes responsible for the exo- and endothermic weight losses seen in the TA profiles. The particle size is determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), supported by XRD-determination of the crystallite size using the Scherrer formula, and the Brunauer, Emmet, and Teller (BET) adsorption analysis used to determine the specific surface area. All the analyses give consistent results, and show nanoparticles of a fairly uniform, small size, with a cubic crystal structure, and fully of the same quality as is produced using the known organic precursors.