Nonstoichiometric properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles prepared by decomposition of zinc peroxide

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were obtained by firing the zinc peroxide nanoparticles at more than 473 K for 2 h. The zinc peroxide decomposed at 473 K to form ZnO that contained O22− ions. Furthermore, the ZnO nanoparticles without O22− ions were obtained by decomposition of the zinc peroxide at more than 513 K and the obtained ZnO contained oxygen vacancies. The increase of the unit cell parameter and the decrease of the activation energy for the electronic conduction were observed due to the oxygen vacancy. The ZnO nanoparticles also had lattice strain. The value of Δd/d decreased from 9.1 × 10−3 to 0 when the firing temperature was in the range from 473 K to 773 K.