Facile and Rapid Microwave Synthesis of Nickel Oxide Nanoparticles towards Cost-Efficient Functional Nanocomposite Photoresists

Abstract

Polymer-based metal oxide lithographic materials have garnered significant interest among researchers for their potential applications in gas sensing, nanoelectronics, and nanoengineering. Such materials present several advantages, especially for low-cost sensors, because of cost-effectiveness, scalability, and versatility allowing customization for various applications. Among metal oxides, nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles exhibit unique physicochemical properties including electrical, magnetic, and optical characteristics making them highly appealing for diverse applications. This research investigated the hydrothermal synthesis of NiO nanoparticles (NPs) to produce polymer nanocomposite photoresists. Initially, three hydrothermal synthesis methods for NiO NPs involving thermal heating of the precursor solution in a water bath, a convection oven, and a microwave oven (MW) were compared. Subsequently, the focus shifted to optimizing the MW-assisted synthesis parameters due to its efficiency and rapidity compared to the other methods. Two nickel salt precursors: Nickel Acetate Tetrahydrate and Nickel Nitrate Hexahydrate were examined. All NPs were analyze in terms of their morphology, structural characteristics, and purity. The most promising NiO NPs were then incorporated as nanofillers into two types of photoresists, a positive and a negative tone, yielding encouraging results as the lithographic properties of the resulting polymeric materials were maintained.