Abstract
Pure-phase RuO2 nanoparticles were obtained by thermal decomposition of unirradiated and gamma-irradiated Ru-tris-acetylacetonate precursors. Several influencing factors including absorbed dose, calcination times and temperatures and addition of surfactants were thoroughly investigated. The newly synthesized RuO2 nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The results showed that the best conditions for the preparation of mono-dispersed RuO2 nanoparticles were achieved by calcinations of unirradiated Rutris-acetylacetonate for 6 h at 600 degrees C. For gamma-irradiated Ru-tris-acetylacetonate with 10(2) Gy total gamma-ray doses, the optimal conditions for RuO2 preparation were calcination for 2 h at 200 degrees C. Thermal stability of RuO2 nanoparticles was studied using thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) techniques, and the results were evaluated and discussed.