The Effect of Solution pH Value on the Morphology of Ceria–Yttria Co Stabilized Zirconia Particles Prepared Using the Polymerizable Complex Method

Ceria–yttria co stabilized zirconia (CYSZ) was synthesized from solutions through the polymerizable complex method. The only difference in the preparation of the CYSZ samples was the pH of the starting solution, which was set at 1, 7 and 12, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the sample with the pH value of 1 had good homogeneity, low agglomeration, and a quasi-spherical shape with the particle size of 41 nm, while by increasing the pH up to 7 and 12, the particles became more disordered and no more in the range of nano sized materials (≤100 nm). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was employed to evaluate the bonding characteristics of the obtained gels at different pH values. thermogravimetric analysis, together with differential thermal analysis, was used to study the differences in the properties of dried gels with temperature. Crystallographic structure of the final product was also studied using X-ray diffraction.