Metal Oxide Nano Particles

The compounds of oxygen with a single or more metals are called metal oxides or mixed metal oxides. The study of metal oxides is a significant part of materials science. Metal oxide is the main discipline of ceramic materials that have chemical inertness, good properties at high temperature and resistance to oxidation [1]. Metal oxides have been a subject of technological and industrial interest because of their diverse properties (optical, electrical, magnetic etc.), combined with their overall characteristics of hardness, thermal stability and chemical resistance. For example; Silica (SiO₂) is widely used in industry due to its hardness, thermal stability, optical and electrical properties and iron oxide (FeO) is widely used for data storage and transmission. Metal oxides are used as functional components in the catalyst to convert hydrocarbons to other chemicals, also used as electrode materials in electrochemical processes, as conductors in films [2-3].

Many transition metal oxides (TMO) display a range of colours which are used as pigments. For example, Cerium oxide (CeO₂) is a yellow pigment. Metal oxides also show a range of electronic properties from insulators (e.g. Na₂O) to semiconductors (e.g. Fe₃O₄) to nearly conductors (e.g. RuO₂). Most of the metal oxides are refractory materials with high melting points which can be used as crucible materials. For example, Zinc oxide (ZnO) has melting point of 1975 ˚C [4].

2.2  Barium Hydroxide

Barium metal was first noticed by Carl Scheele in the year 1774 and then finally generated by Sir Humphry Davy in 1808 in England. The discovery of Barium metal led to the discovery of its Hydroxide. The Sir Humphry prepared barium Hydroxide. He found barium Hydroxide when he adds water to the oxide of barium. Barium Hydroxide is the hydroxide of the metal barium of Group 2 in the Periodic table. Barium Hydroxide has a chemical formula as Ba (OH)₂ .

Barium Hydroxide is also known as the Baryta. Barium Hydroxide is one the main compounds of Barium. Barium Hydroxide is a white granular chemical compounds generally used in many commercial purposes. When Barium Oxide and water are mixed together at some specified temperature then Barium Hydroxide is prepared. The reaction showing the preparation of Barium Hydroxide is:

 BaO + 9 H₂O a `->` Ba(OH)₂.8H₂O
On being, crystallized Barium Hydroxide takes octahedral shape and on being heated, it changes its shape from octahedral to monohydrate. When this monohydrate is heated at a high temperature like 100 0C, it will again produce barium Oxide (BaO) [5].

2.3   Applications of Ba(OH)₂

Barium hydroxide may be used in the development of formulations for the purification of materials such as heteropolysaccharide-protein biopolymers and the release of long-chain bases (LCB) from biological samples. Barium hydroxide solution may be used for protein precipitation in turbid fluids such as whole blood in assays based on the Smoggy-Nelson method.