Facile synthesis of high yield two dimensional zinc vanadate nanoflakes

Abstract

Zinc vanadate nanoflakes, with highly porous structure in the range of 50 nm wall thickness, were successfully prepared from ion solutions of the corresponding precursors by a simple co-precipitation method. The prepared zinc vanadate nanoflakes were inspected by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), High Resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques. The formed nanoflakes phase, after drying at 60 °C, is zinc hydroxide vanadium oxide hydrate. After calcination at 400 °C zinc vanadium oxide phases were formed as confirmed from XRD analysis. FE-SEM shows the formation of two dimensional (2D) zinc vanadate nanoflakes which caused by familiarizing shielding of V(OH)4 − ions on Zn2+ surface. The absence of ZnO Raman peaks indicates that the bulk phase was a pure zinc vanadate phase. Schematic mechanism of the surface morphology of the zinc vanadate formation was suggested. The high yield of the unique structure obtained by this simple synthesis method might open the door for vital industrial applications of the prepared material and synthesis of other nanostructured materials.