Production of Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) Micro and Nanoparticles by Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquid

Pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) has become a technique of growing importance for the processing of micro and nano particles of metals and metal oxides. In comparison with different physical and chemical techniques, this approach has many advantages. This work was dedicated to the production of zirconium oxide (ZrO 2 ) micro and nano particles from a solid zirconium target submerged in distilled water using PLAL technique to study the effect of number of pulses on the structural and optical properties of the produced colloidal solution. Many kinds of tests such as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), UV-visible (UV-Vis.) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) have been used to characterize the products. The (UV-Vis.) absorption spectra of all colloidal samples have shown broad peak at wavelength of 289 nm. The functional groups of (ZrO 2 ) in liquid media were also determined by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) images verified the micro and nanostructure of produced materials .