Synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanoparticles for dental applications: Improving the mechanical properties of the temporary dental filling materials

Abstract

We investigate the effect of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-N) mainly on the mechanical properties of zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE) cements compared to the commercially available bulk ZnO powder (ZnO-B). Our results revealed the polycrystalline structure and well-dispersed nanoparticles (NPs) of regular shapes corresponding to ZnO-N with an average crystallite size of 54.68 nm and energy band gap (Eg) value of 2.7 eV. The Vickers microhardness ( ) measurements showed a clear predominance of mechanical parameters for ZOE-N over ZOE-B where an increase by about 60% was recorded. The indentation creep behavior of ZOE-N sample possessed dislocation creep at all investigated loads (2, 3, 5 N) judging from the conducted exponent stress values (15.89, 16.75, 18.41). This work presents an obvious enhancement in the mechanical performance of ZOE using ZnO-N making it more convenient as temporary dental filling materials opening the door for further investigation of their uses in dental applications.