Facile fabrication and characterisation of MoO3 coated nanocrystalline ZrO2 by polymeric resin route

Surface modification of nanocrystalline ZrO2 powder with an ultrathin MoO3 layer was successfully carried out by a polymeric resin route using polyacrylic acid and ethylene glycol as precursors. Polyacrylic acid plays a vital role in this process, not only as the chelating agent for the molybdate cluster but also to form the uniform layer of molybdate dispersed polymeric resin on the surface of ZrO2. Thermal decomposition of the resin intermediate at 500 degrees C creates the organic free MoO3 layer on the ZrO2 surface. Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction and SEM energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis confirm the uniform formation of crystalline MoO3 on the surface of the ZrO2 powder. Further, the MoO3 layer thickness was identified by TEM characterisation and was found to be similar to 3 nm.