Monoclinic zirconium oxide nanostructures synthesized by a hydrothermal route.

Zirconium oxide (ZrO(2)) nanostructures were synthesized by a hydrothermal route. Surface morphology analysis depicts the formation of rice-grain-like and fiber-like ZrO(2) nanostructures at different synthesis conditions. The structural analysis confirms that the as-synthesized ZrO(2) product is of pure monoclinic phase (m-ZrO(2)). The clear and equally spaced lattice fringes in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images and discrete spot pattern of selected area electron diffraction (SAED) confirm the high quality of the synthesized product. The product consists of monodispersed nanoparticles of uniform composition, high purity, and crystallinity. The Raman spectra are quantitatively analyzed and the observed peaks are attributed to various vibration modes of m-ZrO(2).