A novel green synthesis of γ-Al2O3 nanoparticles using soluble starch

Abstract

In this research, nanocrystalline [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] powders have been synthesized by a novel mechanochemical method, through thermal decomposition of the ammonium aluminum carbonate hydroxide (AACH) precursor. The route involved using low-cost [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] as raw materials and environmental-friendly soluble starch as an effective dispersant. The precursor and product were characterized by simultaneous thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that spherical [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] nanoparticles without hard agglomeration and with particle size in the range of 20–30 nm can be obtained. The crystallite size of products measured from XRD, SEM and TEM were in good agreement. This novel mechanochemical method combined with the use of environmentally benign starch has the advantages of simple operation, low calcination temperature and environmental safety, and will have good prospects for commercial production.