The synthesis of aluminum hydrous oxide from aluminum acetylacetonate

A method for the preparation of submicron, monodispersed, spherical particles of aluminum hydrous oxide has been developed. The method consists of the hydrolysis of aluminum acetylacetonate in alcoholic solution by the direct addition of a base at room temperature. The effects of the process parameters including temperature, solvent, type and concentration of base, aluminum acetylacetonate concentration, and stirring time are examined as well as the process reproducibility, particle composition and particle stability. Results obtained have shown that monodispersed particles can be formed with a mean particle diameter of eighty five to two hundred and fifteen nanometers and the mean size is reproducible to within ten percent of the mean diameter. Particles that are redispersed in fresh solvent are stable for at least thirty days. A model is proposed which explains the kinetics of particle growth and the influence of experimental parameters such as temperature, pH, concentration and the solvent on the formation of particles