Colloidal Synthesis of Hollow Cobalt Sulfide Nanocrystals

Formation of cobalt sulfide hollow nanocrystals through a mechanism similar to the Kirkendall Effect has been investigated in detail. It is found that performing the reaction at > 120 °C leads to fast formation of a single void inside each shell, whereas at room temperature multiple voids are formed within each shell, which can be attributed to strongly temperature‐dependent diffusivities for vacancies. The void formation process is dominated by outward diffusion of cobalt cations; still, the occurrence of significant inward transport of sulfur anions can be inferred as the final voids are smaller in diameter than the original cobalt nanocrystals. Comparison of volume distributions for initial and final nanostructures indicates excess apparent volume in shells, implying significant porosity and/or a defective structure. Indirect evidence for fracture of shells during growth at lower temperatures was observed in shell‐size statistics and transmission electron microscopy images of as‐grown shells. An idealized model of the diffusional process imposes two minimal requirements on material parameters for shell growth to be obtainable within a specific synthetic system.     

Synthesis, characteristics and oxygen-sensitive properties of SrMgxTi 1 − xO3 nanocrystals

SrMg_xTi_{1 - x}O₃ nanocrystals (x = 0.1–0.6) were synthesized by the stearic acid gel method. Powder samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron (XP) spectroscopy. The results showed that the lattice parameter a and the O 1s XP spectrum changed not only with the Mg content x but also with the grain size d of the samples. The conductivity of a thick film specimen fabricated on an aluminium oxide wafer was investigated in a nitrogen—oxygen atmosphere.     

Synthesis of Nearly Monodisperse Iron Oxide and Oxyhydroxide Nanocrystals

Uniform magnetite, hematite, and goethite nanocrystals were prepared through an attractive method based on an oleic acid/alcohol/water system. By adjusting the synthetic parameters (base concentration, alcohol content, categories of alcohols, etc.), the controlled synthesis of uniform magnetite, hematite, and goethite nanocrystals can be easily achieved. Detailed investigations on the effect of the experimental parameters on the morphology of the final products and the phase transitions among the magnetite, hematite, and goethite phases were carried out. Finally, a method of doping other metal ions into magnetite was developed and the magnetic properties of magnetite doped with different metal elements were studied.     

Inside Front Cover: Three‐Dimensionally Ordered Gold Nanocrystal/Silica Superlattice Thin Films Synthesized via Sol–Gel Self‐Assembly (Adv. Funct. Mater. 7/2006)

The synthesis of three‐dimensionally ordered, transparent gold‐nanocrystal (NC)/silica superlattice thin films using the self‐assembly (by spin‐coating) of water‐soluble gold nanocrystal micelles and soluble silica is reported by Fan and co‐workers on p. 891. The robust, 3D NC/silica superlattice films are of interest for the development of collective optical and electronic phenomena, and, importantly, for the integration of NC arrays into device architectures. Nanocrystals and their ordered arrays hold many important applications in fields such as catalysis, surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy based sensors, memory storage, and electronic and optical nanodevices. Herein, a simple and general method to synthesize ordered, three‐dimensional, transparent gold nanocrystal/silica superlattice thin films by self‐assembly of gold nanocrystal micelles with silica or organosilsesquioxane by spin‐coating is reported. The self‐assembly process is conducted under acidic sol–gel conditions (ca. pH 2), ensuring spin‐solution homogeneity and stability and facilitating the formation of ordered and transparent gold nanocrystal/silica films. The monodisperse nanocrystals are organized within inorganic host matrices as a face‐centered cubic mesostructure, and characterized by transmission electron spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction.     

Synthesis of Hexagonal‐Phase NaYF4:Yb,Er and NaYF4:Yb,Tm Nanocrystals with Efficient Up‐Conversion Fluorescence

IR‐to‐visible up‐conversion fluorescent nanocrystals of hexagonal‐phase NaYF₄:20 %Yb,2 %Er and NaYF₄:20 %Yb,2 %Tm have been synthesized by decomposition of multiprecursors of CF₃COONa, (CF₃COO)₃Y, (CF₃COO)₃Yb, and (CF₃COO)₃Er/(CF₃COO)₃Tm in oleylamine at 330 °C. The average particle size is 10.5 ± 0.7 nm (from random measurements of 200 particles from five transmission electron microscopy images) and 11.1 ± 1.3 nm (from dynamic‐light‐scattering measurements). The up‐conversion fluorescence intensity of the hexagonal nanocrystals in this work is much higher than that of other cubic‐phase NaYF₄:Yb,Er nanocrystals, including the ones in this work (by a factor of 7.5). Mechanisms for nucleation and growth of the hexagonal‐phase nanoparticles are proposed. These nanocrystals are easily dispersed in organic solvents, producing a transparent colloidal solution. The hydrophobic surfaces of the particles are made hydrophilic using a bipolar surfactant. These nanoparticles and their dispersions in various media have potential applications in optical nanodevices and bioprobes.