Synthesis of nanosized zinc and magnesium chromites starting from PVA–metal nitrate solutions

In this article, we present a detailed study regarding the preparation of nanosized zinc and magnesium chromites starting from a 4% poly(vinyl)alcohol (PVA) aqueous solution and metal nitrates. The controlled thermal treatment of these solutions has permitted the isolation of an intermediary solid product, used as precursor of the preferred mixed oxides: zinc and magnesium chromites. The as-obtained precursors were characterized by FT-IR spectrometry and thermal analysis. FT-IR spectrometry has evidenced the disappearance of the NO₃ ^? anions at 140?°C, due to the redox interaction with PVA. The thermal decompositions of the synthesized precursors were different, as resulted from both thermal analysis and FT-IR spectrometry. Thus, while ZnCrPVA precursor decomposes up to 400?°C with formation of zinc chromite, the precursor MgCrPVA decomposes up to 500?°C, with formation of MgCrO₄ as intermediary amorphous phase. By thermal decomposition of MgCrO₄ at 500?°C, weakly crystallized MgCr₂O₄ powder is obtained. The obtained chromite powders consist of fine nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 10 to 30?nm at 500?°C; on raising the annealing temperature to 1000?°C, chromite particles become octahedral, with diameter up to 500?nm, but with no sign of sintering.