3.1. Particle Size, XRD and morphology of MgO nanoparticle
Fig. 1 shows the images of the MgO nano-particles using a CM 12 Phillips transmission electron microscope (TEM). The MgO nano nanopowder used for TEM observation was prepared as follows. The nanopowder was mixed with alcohol and subsequently dispersed using an ultrasonic bath for 15 min to avoid agglomeration. A drop of this dispersion was placed on a 3 mm diameter copper grid coated with a carbon film. The copper grid was examined under the TEM with a magnification of 17,000. All the observed particles showed random shapes but with an average particle size of 80 nm. Furthermore, the MgO nano-particles also show square-like morphology, consistent with the observations of Seo et al. [18]. Few unavoidable agglomerations of MgO nano-particles resembling a micron-sized particle of MgO were observed.