Chemical Synthesis and Characterization of Fatty Acid-Capped ZnO Nanoparticles

In the current study, ZnO nanoparticles were obtained using a chemical process employing zinc acetate as the precursor, followed by thermal processing in air. To prevent agglomeration and increase the stability of ZnO nanoparticles, two unsaturated acids (e.g., elaidic acid and linoleic acid) and two saturated acids (e.g., stearic acid and lauric acid) were selected as capping agents. ZnO nanoparticles were investigated before and after surface modification with different fatty acids. Structural and morphological analyses of the samples were performed using FTIR and RAMAN spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, SEM microscopy, and wetting capacity. Characterization studies revealed that the synthesized ZnO nanoparticles present well-defined crystalline structures, with crystallite sizes varying between 26 and 28 nm, and the average particle size was in the range of 10–55 nm (depending on the type of fatty acids used). The goniometric analysis followed the wetting capacity of the sample surface. The study results reveal that the capping agents have a considerable impact on the surface modification of the nanoparticles by increasing the contact angle. By producing nanoparticles with hydrophobic behavior, there is the possibility of opening up future research for their use in various applications across many industrial fields.