Controlling the Aspect Ratio of Inorganic Nanorods and Nanowires

Abstract

Semiconductors and metals exhibit unusual optical, electronic, and magnetic properties on the nanometer scale. Chemists and materials scientists are developing methods to make non‐spherical shapes of semiconductors and metals on the nanometer scale. We use a seed‐mediated growth approach to make metallic nanorods and nanowires in homogeneous solution. Control of the ratio of metallic spherical seeds to metal salt in the reduction reaction controls the aspect ratio of the resulting rods and wires.

Synthesis of monodisperse CdS nanorods catalyzed by Au nanoparticles

“…Several approaches are commonly used for the generation of 1D nanostructures, including surfactant controlled growth, growth with catalysts (solution-liquid-solid, SLS and vapor liquid solid, VLS), growth by oriented attachment, templated growth and growth in the presence of an external fi eld [3,4]. Of these methods, the fi rst two are the most commonly used techniques for the synthesis of 1D nanostructures.…”

Nanostructured Heterogeneous Catalysts: Well Defined Platinum Nanoparticles Supported on Alumina. Preparation, Characterization and Application to the Selective Hydrogenation of Buta-1,3-diene

“…It is now well known that for such nanoparticles, interesting physical properties such as optical and electronic effects can be observed because the mean free path of electrons in the metal and the particle size become comparable [1]. A new challenging task is now to control the shape of such nanoparticles since it is possible to correlate physical properties with the shape of a metallic nanoparticle, mainly for optical applications [2]. For instance, nanorods of Ag can present a red-shift of their longitudinal plasmon band with increasing aspect ratio [3].…”

Modifying the liquid/liquid interface: pores, particles and deposition

“…A recent review on solution phase ''nanowire'' preparation has noted that the mechanism of the growth process has not been ''rigorously worked out, even for the simpler case of nanospheres''. 11 The solution phase synthetic strategies are, in the main, empirical with a lack of quantitative data on how such particles are assembled-which hampers understanding of how their growth may be controlled. My research group-and others-have been developing an approach to this problem, which involves localising the deposition process to interfaces, [12][13][14] specifically to L/L interfaces (see Fig.…”