Synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles of ZnO by levitational gas condensation

Nanocrystalline ZnO powders have been synthesized by means of a novel and simple one-step method of levitational gas condensation. The Zn clusters evaporated from a surface of the levitated liquid Zn droplet and then condensed into nanoparticles of ZnO in a chamber filled with mixtures of Ar and O2 gases. As a result, ZnO was synthesized under an O2 flow rate of 0.1 ≤ V O 2   ( l / min ) ≤ 0.2 . The as-prepared ZnO powders, characterized by transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer–Emmet–Teller analysis, show high specific surface area of 38 m2/g and possess particle size of 30 nm having the web-like pattern with hexagonal structure. From the main peak intensities of X-ray diffraction, the amounts of ZnO and Zn in the sample are found to be 92% and 8%.