Synthesis and Room Temperature Photoluminescence of Mesoporous Zirconia with a Tetragonal Nanocrystalline Framework

Mesoporous ZrO 2 with a tetragonal ( t ) nanocrystalline framework was synthesized using zirconium propoxide as the zirconium precursor and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as pore‐directing agent and subsequent calcination of the inorganic/organic intermediate. The Raman spectrum showed six distinct peaks at 146, 268, 325, 480, 615, and 645 cm −1 , which further confirm t ‐structure of the mesoporous ZrO 2 . Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis reveals that mesoporous ZrO 2 prepared at 500°C is template free. The mesoporous t ‐ZrO 2 possesses narrowly distributed pore size (2–11 nm) with average pore diameter of 5 nm and surface area of 65 m 2 /g. A photoluminescence band centered at 419 nm under excitation at 285 nm wavelength at room temperature is attributed to the ionized oxygen vacancy in t ‐ZrO 2 in the mesoporous structure. The combined effects of grain/pore size, oxygen vacancies and mesoporous wall strain–energy play important role in stabilizing the t ‐nanocrystalline framework of mesoporous ZrO 2 . In comparison with the mesoporous ZrO 2 materials stabilized by chemical treatment, the present route is simpler and resulted in mesoporous ZrO 2 with crystalline framework.