Structural and vibrational properties of hydrothermally grown ZnO2 nanoparticles

Abstract Zinc peroxide (ZnO 2 ) nanopowder is a potential green precursor to obtain ZnO nanostructures at low temperatures. Here, it is reported the synthesis of ZnO 2 nanoparticles through an economical one step hydrothermal method. The thermal stability, morphology, structural and vibrational properties of the ZnO 2 nanoparticles were studied by means of thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, low- and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Highly crystalline cubic-ZnO 2 nanoparticles with average size of 15 nm were obtained. It was found that the synthesized ZnO 2 sample decomposes into ZnO at about 250 °C. The observed vibrational modes in the ZnO 2 nanopowder are discussed and compared with previous reports.