Stabilization of tetragonal phase of nanostructured Fe x /ZrO 2 system (0 ≤ x ≤ 25) prepared by modified sol-gel method

Abstract In the present study, Fe x /ZrO 2 (0 ≤ x ≤ 25) nanoparticles were synthesized by a facile modified Sol-Gel method. Stabilization of the tetragonal phase of ZrO 2 is studied as a function of both the Fe incorporation ratios and thermal treatment. The Fe incorporation ratios are tested up to the extreme just before FeO and Fe 2 O 3 phases are formed separately. The prepared Fe x /ZrO 2 nanoparticles XRD analysis depicts the formation of zirconium oxide at different Fe ratios in the nanoscale with an excellent degree of crystallinity in the tetragonal phase. The effect of thermal treatment on stabilizing the tetragonal phase of Fe x /ZrO 2 nanoparticles is extensively studied. The phase transition to the monoclinic phase is determined as function of Fe incorporation ratios and annealing temperatures. The optical absorbance spectra showed that the optical band gap decreased with increasing Fe ratios without the formation of doping bands which confirms the formation of Fe x /ZrO 2 single matrix.