Green solvent-based sol–gel synthesis of monticellite nanoparticles: a rapid and efficient approach

In this research, high-pure monticellite ceramic (CaMgSiO4) nanoparticles were synthesized via a novel sol–gel method using ethanol and chloride ions for the acceleration of polycondensation process. The gel obtained from metal alkoxide and metal salts precursors dried at 100°C; then, the dried-gel calcined at different temperatures to monitor the structural development of the final samples. The effect of various heat-treatment temperatures on the x-ray diffraction patterns, followed by the calculations from scherrer’s equation, showed that the grain size of the synthesized samples at 1200°C was around 28 nm. Based on dynamic light scattering spectroscopy, the size of most of the particles was ~85 nm. Williamson–Hall formula was also used to calculate the lattice strain of the samples. According to the results, by changing the heat-treatment temperature, lattice strain/stress, lattice parameters and grain size have meaningfully changed. The proposed synthesis method showed superior advantages in comparison with the other conventional techniques presented in the literature, which is relatively faster at lower temperatures. The synthesized high-pure monticellite nanoparticles could be applied in different biomedical engineering applications in which the purity and structural properties are of importance, such as dental, bone tissue engineering, coatings on biomedical implants, surgery hemostasis and inducing osteogenesis in vivo applications.