Facet-dependent properties of polyhedral nanocrystals

Abstract

Syntheses of metal and oxide nanocrystals with cubic crystal structures and well-controlled polyhedral morphologies such as cubic, octahedral, and rhombic dodecahedral shapes exposing, respectively, {100}, {111}, and {110} surfaces enable a more accurate determination of their facet-dependent properties. So far molecular adsorption, photocatalytic, organocatalytic, and electrical conductivity properties have been demonstrated to be surface-related or facet-dependent. Chemical etching and metal nanoparticle deposition can also be face-selective. Examples of these surface properties are presented. In general, ionic solids such as Cu2O nanocrystals exhibit more sharply different surface properties than those seen in metal nanoparticles. A better understanding of these facet-dependent properties is necessary to prepare nanomaterials with enhanced properties such as their catalytic activities.

Synthesis of Ultrasmall Cu2O Nanocubes and Octahedra with Tunable Sizes for Facet-Dependent Optical Property Examination

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] Even heat transmission has been found to show facet dependence. [ 10 ] Unlike organocatalysis, which deals with only surface atoms, [4][5][6][7] photocatalytic, electrical, and optical properties involve with charge carriers or photons moving into or out of a crystal through the particle surfaces.…”

Size and nanocrystallinity controlled gold nanocrystals: synthesis, electronic and mechanical properties

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6] Chemists and physicists have made great efforts to correlate the properties of nanoparticles (NPs) with their structures, with the ultimate goal to fabricate smart materials with a user-designed response. 7 Notable examples are the optical properties of gold and noble metal NPs.…”

Polyhedral 30‐Faceted BiVO4 Microcrystals Predominantly Enclosed by High‐Index Planes Promoting Photocatalytic Water‐Splitting Activity

“…[10] However, the generation of metal oxide micro-and nanocrystallites with high-index surfaces is comparatively more difficult due to the presence of strong metal-oxygen bonds and diverse crystal packing structures. [11] Only a few binary metal oxides, such as Co 3 O 4 , [12] anatase TiO 2 , [13][14][15] Fe 3 O 4 , [16] Cu 2 O, [17,18] and SnO 2 , [19] have been successfully achieved. Multinary metal oxide crystals are relatively more meaningful than binary ones because they not only possess more complex functions, but their properties also be readily adjusted by tuning the ratio of the component elements.…”