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Mesoporous materials have found a great number of important utilities due to their well-defined pore structure and high internal surface area, which are routinely synthesized with the assistance of block copolymers or templates. So far, a key challenge is how to assemble directly ligand-free inorganic nanocrystals into mesoporous structures, so that the high surface activity of ligand-free nanocrystals is not destroyed by further treatment to remove organic species or templates. In this paper, we report the direct assembly of highly uniform ZnO mesoporous ellipsoids from ligand-free ZnO nanocrystals of ∼5 nm. The size of the synthesized uniform ZnO mesoporous ellipsoids can be efficiently tuned from 132 × 75 to 190 × 111 nm (length × width), by varying the size and concentration of primary ZnO nanocrystal building blocks and the composition of the designed assembling solvent. The BET detection indicates that these ZnO mesoporous ellipsoids have high specific surface areas reaching to 136.57 m(2)/g, while their average BJH pore diameters are located at 8.8 nm. Especially, the high-resolution TEM images and XRD analysis revealed the occurrence of an oriented attachment mechanism in the assembly of uniform ZnO mesoporous ellipsoids, which supplied an important proof for the possibility of constructing stable three-dimensional structures by oriented attachment. The benefits of these ZnO mesoporous ellipsoids were demonstrated by their excellent photocatalytic activity under weak UV irradiation.

In this paper, a description of the process by which two kinds of surfactants with relative long or short alkyl chains are introduced onto the surface of Ag nanocrystals, which contribute to the formation of tunable and anisotropic "covalent bonds" between two Ag nanocrystals, is given. By altering the lengths of the short alkyl chains, the sizes and structures of the as-obtained supercrystals as well as the exposed crystal planes of the interior nanocrystals can be tuned. This strategy may further enrich the "chemical bond" categories of artificial atoms and serve as the base for the discovery of more functional superstructures.

A general synthesis route to a family of single-crystal chromate nanorods/nanobelts has been established. The effects of pH and surfactant on phase and morphology of these microcrystalline materials have been investigated. The physical properties of the as-synthesized chromate nanocrystals such as dielectric, electrochemical, UV-vis absorbance, and photoluminescent properties have also been studied. The present general synthesis of various low-dimensional chromate nanomaterials provides useful information on the possible synthesis of other microcrystalline transition metal oxysalts.

A facile solution-phase process has been demonstrated for the selective preparation of single-crystalline bismuth nanowires and nanospheres by reducing sodium bismuthate with ethylene glycol in the presence of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) or acetone. Bismuth nanobelts and Bi/Bi(2)O(3) nanocables could be also obtained by changing some reaction parameters. Various techniques such as XRD, EDXA, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, and FT-IR have been used to investigate the physical characteristics of these low-dimensional bismuth nanostructures.

A novel class of inorganic-organic-layered structures, CdE.0.5en (E = S, Se, Te; en = ethylenediamine), were obtained through reactions between elemental S, Se, or Te and Cd(2+) at appropriate solvothermal temperatures. These compounds contain atomic sheets of inorganic CdE frameworks spaced by ethylenediamine molecules, which serve as bridged ligands between two Cd atoms in neighboring inorganic layers and also prevent these inorganic slabs from collapsing and condensing into the bulk CdE phase. From the structural viewpoint, the essential mechanism for the formation of CdE nanorods in ethylenediamine-mediated solvothermal synthesis and the unique striated morphologies of the CdE products obtained through post-hydrothermal treatment of the CdE.0.5en layered precursors were revealed. The structure-selective crystallization of II-VI compound semiconductors in ethylenediamine under conditions of direct solvothermal synthesis or during the postconversion of the layered precursors was also explained on the basis of the similarity in atomic connectivity between the inorganic slabs in the precursors and those in wurtzite or zinc-blende phases. In addition, the CdE.0.5en precursors, which possess strong quantum-confinement effects resulting from their special inorganic-organic structures with alternating CdE and ethylenediamine layers, provide further possibilities of tailoring their electronic, magnetic, and optical properties through the structural modification of either the inorganic or the organic components.

Through the controlled removal of surfactant from the presynthesized mesolamellar precursor (WO-L) at elevated temperature, tungsten oxide nanowires with diameters ranging from 10 to 50 nm and lengths up to several micrometers were obtained on a large scale. The structure, morphology, and composition of the nanowires were characterized by the XRD, TEM, HRTEM, EDX, and Raman spectra.

Two cyano-bridged Ni(II)-Fe(III) complexes [(H(3)O)[Ni(H(2)L)](2)[Fe(CN)(6)](2).[Fe(CN)(6)].6H(2)O](n) (1) and [K(18-C-6)(H(2)O)(2)][Ni(H(2)L)](2)[Fe(CN)(6)](3).4(18-C-6).20H(2)O (2) (L = 3,10-bis(2-aminoethyl)-1,3,6,8,10,12-hexaazacyclotetradecane, 18-C-6 = 18-crown-6-ether) have been synthesized and characterized structurally and magnetically. Complex 1 has a zigzag one-dimensional structure, in which two trans-CN(-) ligands of each [Fe(CN)(6)](3)(-) link two trans-[Ni(H(2)L)](4+) groups, and in turn, each trans-[Ni(H(2)L)](4+) links two [Fe(CN)(6)](3)(-) in a trans fashion. Complex 2 is composed of cyano-bridged pentanuclear molecules with moieties connected by the trans-CN(-) ligands of [Fe(CN)(6)](3)(-). Magnetic studies show the existence of ferromagnetic Ni(II)-Fe(III) interactions in both complexes. The intermetallic magnetic coupling constant of both complexes was analyzed by using an approximate model on the basis of the structural features.

CdSe nanorods and dendritic fractals were synthesized through a novel controllable solution-phase hydrothermal method. Soluble selenite was employed to provide a highly reactive Se source in the synthesis. Both morphologies and phases of the CdSe products could be successfully controlled by choosing appropriate complexing agents to adjust the dynamics of the reaction process. Reaction temperature and Cd/Se ratio in raw materials were also important parameters influencing the morphologies and phases of the products. The phase structures, morphologies, and optical properties of the CdSe products were investigated by XRD, TEM, HRTEM, and UV-vis and photoluminescence spectroscopies. The formation mechanisms of the nanorods and fractals were investigated and discussed on the basis of the experimental results.

Here, we report upconversion nanoparticles with a core/porous-shell structure in which bulk emission and nanoemission are simultaneously observed. The activated porous shell can efficiently tune the bulk emission but has negligible influence on the nanoemission.

A facile one-step strategy has been developed for preparing monodisperse CeO(2) mesoporous spheres with high surface areas, uniform size distributions, and well-defined pore topologies. These mesoporous spheres have been demonstrated to be catalytically stable and active for CO oxidation.

Reaction of sulfur and selenium with elemental or ionic metals in liquid ethylenediamine at room temperature produced metal chalcogenides ME (M = Cu, Sn, Co(2+), Ni(2+), Mn(2+), or Pb(2+); E = S or Se), Ag(2)E, M(2)E(3) (M = Bi or Sb). The results showed that the products had a range of crystalline sizes from 10 to 100 nm. Some reactions produced molecular precursors. Heat treatment of these precursors at 250 degrees C under a N(2) atmosphere induced crystalline chalcogenides. The pre- and postheated metal chalcogenides were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Some key compounds are analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The roles of ethylenediamine in the reaction system are also discussed in this report.

The solvothermal reaction of sulfur, selenium, or tellurium with cadmium metal powder in different organic solvents in the temperature range 120−200 °C was investigated systematically to prepare ca...

An open framework gallium selenide, Ga(4)Se(7)(en)(2).(enH)(2), has been prepared by the direct reaction of gallium (Ga) and selenium (Se) in ethylenediamine (en), in which both covalent and hydrogen bonds have been employed to combine the inorganic structures and organic spacers to build layers with micropores. Its structure has been determined by X-ray diffraction. Its thermal and optical properties have been characterized by TGA and UV-vis, Raman, and IR spectroscopies, respectively.

A low-temperature solution-based synthetic method was developed for the large-scale synthesis of one-dimensional nanostructures of alkali titanates. Two kinds of highly pure ribbonlike titanates were synthesized successfully in gram quantities without introducing any templates or catalysts. The structure and composition of the titanates were characterized by XRD, HRTEM, and EDX. The chemical and physical properties were preliminarily characterized, and some distinctive properties were observed.

Polymer-stabilized tetragonal ZrO(2) nanopowders with average size of ca. 2.0 nm have been prepared by microwave heating in an aqueous solution containing Zr(NO(3))(4) x 5H(2)O, PVA, and NaOH. The photoluminescence of the synthesized ZrO(2) fine particles has been investigated.

New chemical reactions and synthetic systems are of key importance for materials fabrication. In this work, we reported a facile and effective octadecylamine (ODA) synthetic system for various nanocrystals including metals, mixed metal oxides, metal/metal oxide heterostructured nanocrystals, intermetallics, and alloys. We found that the products were mainly determined by metal ions used in our synthetic system: noble metal ions led to the formation of metals; two kinds of non-noble metal ions led to the formation of mixed metal oxides; silver ions and non-noble metal ions led to the formation of metal/metal oxide heterostructured nanocrystals; non-noble metal ions and noble metal (excluding Ag) ions led to the formation of intermetallics and alloys. The difference was attributed to different ability to attract electrons from ODA solvent among these metal ions. This effective system provides a general strategy for various nanocrystals which would find potential applications in many significant fields.

We have successfully prepared a series of magnetically separable “quasi-homogeneous” Pd−Ni nanoalloy catalysts with tunable composition in a one-pot wet chemical route. We have evaluated the catalytic activity of these Pd−Ni alloy catalysts with different compositions through the Miyaura−Suzuki coupling reaction. These palladium/non-noble metal alloy catalysts show better catalytic activity than an equal amount of palladium nanoparticles. Furthermore, these catalysts exhibited excellent performance in superparamagnetism owing to its great advantage for reducing the usage of noble metal.

High quality CdSe quantum dots are synthesized through a room temperature injection technique by using CdAc2 and Na2SeSO3 as precursors. In this synthesis approach, small CdSe clusters are formed after the injection at room temperature. Thereafter, CdSe quantum dots with emissions from the green to the red region can be obtained by transferring these clusters to different temperatures (40-150 degrees C) for particle growth. Meanwhile, CdSe quantum dots with emission in the blue-violet region (500-430 nm) are gained by an oxidation etching approach using H2O2 as oxidant. The advantage of this method is the natural separation of the nucleation and the growth process, which can provide a longer time for the preparation of the nuclei in simple operations and a well controlled fluorescence of the products, as the evolution of the fluorescence is slow at this low particle growth temperature.

Indium hydroxides, oxyhydroxides, and oxides are important n-type semiconductors and have wide applications in material fields. In this Article, a series of In(OH)(3) and InOOH nanocrystals with different structures and morphologies, such as nanocubes, nanorods, multipods, and nanoparticles, have been synthesized selectively through a liquid-phase reaction, by adjusting the alkalinity and polarity of the solvent. It is found that InOOH multipods are in the orthorhombic phase and their arms grow along nonequivalent faces. Cubic and hexagonal In(2)O(3) can be obtained from In(OH)(3) and InOOH, respectively, while size and morphology can be maintained to a certain extent. Gas sensors were fabricated by using In(2)O(3), and a device based on the multipods shows the best responses to ethanol vapor. XRD, TEM, HRTEM, SEM, and SAED have been used to characterize these nanocrystals. This work provides a preliminary investigation into the structural-based gas-sensing properties of these nanocrystals.

In this paper, a hydrothermal synthetic route has been developed to prepare a class of rare-earth fluoride nanocrystals, which have shown gradual changes in growth modes with decreasing ionic radii and may serve as a model system for studying the underlying principle in the controlled growth of rare-earth nanocrystals. Furthermore, we demonstrate the functionalization of these nanocrystals by means of doping, which have shown visible-to-the-naked-eye green up-conversion emissions and may find application in biological labeling fields.

Uniform ZnxCd1-xSe nanocrystals have been prepared at the artificially designed water-oil interface using Na2SeO3, Cd(NO3)2, and Zn(NO3)2 as precursors. The chemical composition and band gap of the ZnxCd1-xSe nanocrystals can be adjusted via different combinations of source material. The coating of a SiO2 shell could transform the hydrophobic particles into hydrophilic particles. An advantage of this method is that a water phase could be added to the oleic acid (OLEA) synthesis system, which could be extended to make the synthesis of various nanocrystals more simple and flexible.

In this paper, we describe how WO(3) hollow spheres have been synthesized in solution phase by the controlled hydrolysis of WCl(6) using novel carbon microspheres as the templates. All of the products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The as-synthesized spheres had large diameters of about 400 nm and thin shells of about 30 nm composed of numerous small nanocrystals. Prompted by the porous structure and small crystal size of the shell wall, we constructed WO(3) hollow-sphere gas sensors and found that these sensors had good sensitivity to alcohol, acetone, CS(2), and other organic gases.

Vanadium oxide nanotubes were synthesized as the main product by hydrothermal self-assembling from ammonium metavanadate (NH(4)VO(3)) and organic molecules as structure-directing templates. Several kinds of templates including primary amines (C(n)H(2n+1)NH(2)), alpha,omega-diamines (H(2)N[CH(2)](n)NH(2)), and quaternary ammonium salt (CTAB) were demonstrated to be appropriate for the formation of nanotubes. The morphologies and structures of the nanotubes were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The nanotubes were found forming together with the layered structures and the sheetlike structures. On the basis of the growth mechanism of WS(2) nanotubes proposed by our group, a possible rolling mechanism was proposed, which might be a suitable general formation mechanism for types of nanotubes from lamellar structures.

A solvothermal elemental reaction to nanocrystalline zinc selenide was proposed. The coordinating ability of the solvent was found to play an important role on the nucleation and growth of the nanocrystalline ZnSe.