Nanocrystalline tetragonal Sc2O3 (3.5 mol%) and Y2O3 (0.5 mol%) doped zirconia (SYDZ and YSZ) solid solutions were prepared by modified and classic Pechini method, respectively. In this approach, zirconium oxynitrate, scandium and yttrium nitrate, citric acid (CA) and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (EGM) were used as the sources of Zr4+, Sc3+, Y3+, and the chelating and solvent agents, respectively. The SYDZ nanocrystals, synthesized with a 1Zr4+ : 4EGM : 4CA mole ratio in acidic medium (pH ∼1) at 700 °C, had a smaller particle size (15 ± 3 nm) than YSZ synthesized with the classic Pechini method. Also, our optimized synthesis was applied to a large scale elaboration by increasing the quantity of precursors. Finally, The optical properties of SYDZ nanocrystals were also investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy.
