Facile synthesis of magnesium oxide nanoplates via chemical precipitation

摘要

Magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoplates, which have a thickness of about 10-20 nm and a length of up to 100 nm, are synthesized via chemical precipitation using ammonia hydroxide as precipitator in the presence of a nonionic surfactant polyethylene glycol (PEG 400). The morphologies and structures of the synthesized nanoplates have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Furthermore, the mechanism for the formation of the nanoplates has been preliminarily discussed. It is believed that the capping molecule of PEG 400, which inhibits crystal growth along the (001) direction due to its selective adsorption, plays a critical role in the formation of the plate-like nanostructures.