Particle size of powders under hydrothermal conditions

Various non-oxide (CuI, AgI, AgCl, PbS, CuS and ZnS) and oxide (ZnO, TiO2, SnO2, CeO2 and ZrO2) powders were prepared under hydrothermal conditions to investigate the effects of temperature, pH and precursors on the particle size of powders. It was found that the particle sizes of PbS, CuS and ZnS powders were much smaller than that of Cull, AgI and AgCl powders prepared under the same conditions. The particle sizes of TiO2, SnO2, CeO2 and ZrO2 powders are much smaller than that of ZnO powders prepared under the same conditions. It is concluded that the solution conditions have a certain effect on the particle size of powders under the hydrothermal conditions. The particle size of powders increased with the rising of temperature. Additional factors affecting the particle size were uncovered through studying the nucleation mechanism. The particle size was mainly related to the Madelung constant and the electric charge number of ions. Powders with smaller particle size resulted from systems that possessed the larger Madelung constant and ionic charge number. (C) 2003 WILEY-YCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.