The development of new functional materials requires cutting-edge technologies for incorporating different functional materials without reducing their functionality.

Synthesis and detailed characterization of lithium-incorporated (0–20% of Li loading) MgO nanocrystals are presented. High surface reactivity arises due to the presence of facets and kinks at the surface of the particles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that the presence of surface modes with peak shift related to the difference in the electronegativity of Li ions and the formation of extra modes for low loading of Li. For LiMgO particles, interband transitions due to the F + centers and the surface Li x O species are observed. Formation of F + centers is consistent with a decrease in the lattice parameter as a function of Li loading. A significant increase in the magnetic moment of the LiMgO nanoparticles is discussed in terms of the presence of oxygen vacancies and Li-rich surface regions. Three new bands in the higher frequency range are observed for LiMgO nanoparticles. Overall, studies revealed that the surfaces of the particles are not the same for low and high loadings of Li.

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