Mixed-Metal Oxide Nanopowders by Liquid-Feed Flame Spray Pyrolysis (LF-FSP): Synthesis and Processing of Core-Shell Nanoparticles.

Abstract

In this dissertation, liquid feed–flame spray pyrolysis (LF-FSP) was used for the synthesis and characterization of mixed-metal oxide nanopowders in the Ce-Zr-Al-O system for potential catalytic, photonic, electronic and structural applications. The LFFSP process aerosolizes metalloorganic precursors dissolved in an alcohol solvent with oxygen, combusts the aerosol, and then rapidly quenches the gaseous species to produce nanosize oxide “soot” with the same compositions as those in the starting precursor solutions. The wide variety of potential metal oxide precursors allows the synthesis of multiple chemical compositions, phase and unique particle morphologies in the resulting nanopowders. Surprisingly, LF-FSP with the correct choice of metalloorganic precursors provides access to core-shell nanopowders in a single step. The (ZrOx)x(Al2O3)1-x system was explored first for potential structural applications as zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) composites. During the LF-FSP process, core-shell nanoparticles with