Mechanism of formation of nanocrystalline ZnO particles through the reaction of [Zn(acac)2] with NaOH in EtOH

The mechanism of formation of nanocrystalline ZnO particles from the reaction of zinc acetylacetonate ([Zn(acac)(2)]) with 2-equivalent NaOH in boiling EtOH was investigated by characterizing the particles and following the transformation of acac moieties, The reaction was found to proceed via hydrolysis of zinc ethoxide derivatives, followed by dehydration-condensation reactions. High-resolution solid-state CP-MAS C-13 NMR measurements indicate that the ZnO particles are produced through Zn (acac>(OZn)(n)(acac) (3). Furthermore, it was suggested that acac (-)ligands play an important role in the generation of nanocrystalline ZnO particles by suppressing the hydrolysis-condensation of Zn(acac)(OZn)(n)(acac). (C) 1998 Academic Press.