Fereshteh Meshkani - Catalyst and Advanced Materials Research Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran
Mehran Rezaei - Catalyst and Advanced Materials Research Laboratory, Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran

Nanocrystalline magnesium oxide with plate-like shape was prepared by a wet chemical synthesis method using polyvinyl alcohol as surfactant. The synthesized samples were characterized by N2 adsorption (BET), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analyses. The obtained results showed that the addition of surfactant has a significant effect on the structural properties of magnesium oxide and led to obtain a powder with higher specific surface area and smaller crystallite size. The specific surface areaincreased with decreasing in metal ion to PVA monomer unit mole ratio (MgO/PVA). Transition electron microscopy (TEM) showed a structure consisting of aggregates or agglomerates of particles forming slit shaped pores (plates or edged particles like cubes).

MgO; Nanocrystal; Surface area