MICROWAVE ASSISTED SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NICKEL OXIDE NANOPARTICLES

Abstract

Nickel oxide (NiO) nano-particles were produced via a simple microwave method from the Ni(OH)2 precursor, which was obtained by slow drop-wise addition of 0.1M sodium hydroxide to 0.1M nickel nitrate. The mixture was vigorously stirred until the pH reached 7.2. The mixture was then irradiated with microwave to deposit Ni(OH)2 at a better precipitation rate. Drying the precipitate at 320°C resulted in formation of NiO nanoparticles. High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), employed for the structural characterization of the as-prepared NiO nanoparticles, revealed their good crystallinity and high-purity. Microwave irradiation increased homogeneity and decreased the mean particle size of the produced NiO particles.