Sonochemical Preparation and Properties of Pt–3Y‐TZP Nano‐Composites

A uniformly aggregated 3 mol% yttria‐stabilized tetragonal zirconia nano‐powder (3Y‐TZP) was prepared using thermal hydrolysis and the ultrasonic deagglomeration technique. The possibility of nano‐engineering of Pt–3Y‐TZP composite aggregates was studied. The as‐synthesized Pt nano‐particles (∼2 nm) were impregnated into zirconia nano‐aggregates (20–45 nm). The morphology manipulation technique allowed production of the composite zirconia‐based aggregates in which a significant fraction of the Pt particles was embedded into the densified zirconia aggregates. Using the colloidal technique and low‐temperature (1150°C) sintering, we prepared the Pt‐zirconia (0.5–1.5 wt% of platinum) nano‐composites with average 3Y‐TZP grain sizes of 120 nm, and with the platinum grains size in the range of 20–60 nm. The catalytic properties of composite Pt–3Y‐TZP nano‐composites were studied and described.