Gallic acid-assisted synthesis of novel ZrO2 nanoparticle and its structural, morphological, and optical properties

Zirconium oxide (zirconia, ZrO₂) is one of the most widely used ceramic materials because of its remarkable electrical, thermal, optical, and mechanical stability. Due to the effectiveness and application of zirconia nanoparticles in various industries, demand for this nanoparticle continues to increase over time. Nanoparticle synthesis methods generally required large costs and showed negative impact on the environment. In addition, energy consumption during the production of nanomaterials must be controlled to maintain the efficiency of production cost, so that the nanomaterials produced are feasible to be commercialized. This has led to the development of simpler nanoparticle synthesis methods. Biomass of bacteria, fungi, and algae, as well as plant extracts are the main precursors in the green synthesis of nanoparticles. The use of plant extracts is the simplest and most effective method because it is easy to obtain in abundance, requires lower costs, and is safer to handle and to the environment. Biomolecules contained in plants may reduce metal precursors accompanied by capping and stabilization of the formed nanoparticles. The purpose of this study was to determine the structural, morphological, and optical properties of novel ZrO2 nanoparticle using gallic acid as bio-reductor. Gallic acid is a phenolic compound and has been proven to be used in green synthesis of nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were subjected to various characterization techniques using UV–Visible spectrophotometer, FT-IR spectroscopy, SEM with EDAX, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The developed synthesis method is expected to be applied under easy reaction conditions using green reagents.