Multistep solution-mediated formation of AuCuSn2: mechanistic insights for the guided design of intermetallic solid-state materials and complex multimetal nanocrystals

Understanding how solids form is a challenging task, and few strategies allow for the elucidation of reaction pathways that are useful for designing new solids. Here, we describe an unusual multistep reaction pathway that leads to the formation of AuCuSn(2), a new ternary intermetallic compound that was discovered as nanocrystals using a low-temperature solution route. The formation of AuCuSn(2) using a modified polyol process occurs through a multistep pathway that was elucidated by taking aliquots throughout the course of the reaction and studying the products using a variety of techniques. The reaction proceeds through four distinct steps: (a) formation of Au nanoparticles at or near room temperature, mediated by a galvanic reaction between Au(3+) and Sn(2+) (forming Au(0) and Sn(4+), precipitated as SnO(2) that forms a shell around the nanoparticles), (b) formation of NiAs-type AuSn nanoparticles, along with Cu and Sn, upon addition of NaBH(4), (c) aggregation and thermal interdiffusion to form AuCu(x)Sn(y) alloy nanoparticles, and (d) nucleation of intermetallic AuCuSn(2), which has an ordered NiAs-derived structure. The proposed mechanism was tested by starting the reaction with the AuSn intermediate. AuSn nanoparticles were synthesized separately and reacted with Cu and Sn nanoparticles, and ordered AuCuSn(2) formed as expected. Elucidation of this reaction pathway has important implications for guiding the design of new intermetallic solids, as well as for controlling the synthesis of complex multimetal nanocrystals.     

Synthesis of atomically ordered AuCu and AuCu(3) nanocrystals from bimetallic nanoparticle precursors

A new multistep approach was developed to synthesize atomically ordered intermetallic nanocrystals, using AuCu and AuCu(3) as model systems. Bimetallic nanoparticle aggregates are used as precursors to atomically ordered nanocrystals, both to precisely define the stoichiometry of the final product and to ensure that atomic-scale diffusion distances lower the reaction temperatures to prevent sintering. In a typical synthesis, PVP-stabilized Au-Cu nanoparticle aggregates synthesized by borohydride reduction are collected by centrifugation and annealed in powder form. At temperatures below 175 degrees C, diffusion of Cu into Au occurs, and the atomically disordered solid solution Cu(x)Au(1)(-)(x) exists. For AuCu, nucleation occurs by 200 degrees C, and atomically ordered AuCu exists between 200 and 400 degrees C. For AuCu(3), an AuCu intermediate nucleates at 200 degrees C, and further diffusion of Cu into the AuCu intermediate at 300 degrees C nucleates AuCu(3). Atomically ordered AuCu and AuCu(3) nanocrystals can be redispersed as discrete colloids in solution after annealing between 200 and 300 degrees C.     

Template-assisted synthesis of shape-controlled Rh2P nanocrystals

When reacted with trioctylphosphine at approximately 360 degrees C, rhodium nanocrystals convert to rhodium phosphide Rh(2)P nanocrystals. Careful control over synthetic variables, such as temperature, stabilizing ligands, and cosolvents, can result in Rh(2)P nanocrystals with shapes that reflect the Rh nanocrystal templates. Accordingly, Rh nanocrystals with multipod, cube- and triangle-derived shapes convert to Rh(2)P nanocrystals that maintain the shape of their Rh precursors. Both dense and hollow Rh(2)P nanocrystals can be generated using a single unified chemical conversion strategy. These empirical guidelines for generating a morphologically diverse library of Rh(2)P nanocrystals provide important insights into shape conservation using nanocrystal templates and will likely be portable to other multielement systems for which rigorous shape-controlled synthesis remains challenging.     

Preparation and photoluminescence properties of Y2SiO5:Eu3+ nanocrystals

The sol-emulsion-gel method is used for the preparation of about 5-7 nm size Eu2O3 doped and coated Y2SiO5 nanoparticles at 1300 degrees C. Here, we report the role of surface coating, dopant concentration and temperature of heating on the modification of crystal structure and the photoluminescence properties of Y2SiO5:Eu3+ nanocrystals. It is found that photoluminescence properties are sensitive to the crystal structure which is again controlled by surface coating, concentration and heating temperature. The decay times are 0.76, 1.14, 1.23 and 1.40 ms for 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.5 mol% Eu2O3 doped Y2SiO5 nanocrystals prepared at 1100 degrees C (X1-Y2SiO5). However, in X2-Y2SiO5 crystal phase (at 1300 degrees C) the average decay times are 1.05, 1.35, 1.55 and 1.60 ms for 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.5 mol% Eu2O3 doped Y2SiO5 nanocrystals, indicating the photoluminescence properties depend on both the crystal structure and the concentration of ions. The emission intensity of the peak at 612 nm (5D0-->7F2) of the Eu3+-ions is found to be sensitive to the doping and surface coating of Y2SiO5 nanocrystals. The decay times are 1.55 and 1.70 ms for 1300 degrees C heated 1.0 mol% Eu2O3 doped and coated Y2SiO5 nanocrystals, respectively. Our analysis suggests that the site symmetry of ions plays a most important role in the modification of radiative relaxation mechanisms and as a result on the overall photoluminescence properties.     

Synthesis of alcoholic ZnO nanocolloids in the presence of piperidine organic base: nucleation-growth evidence of Zn5(OH)8Ac2.2H2O fine particles and ZnO nanocrystals

Piperidine as a new free OH* organic base has been successfully used to prepare Zn5(OH)8(Ac).22H2O particles (named Zn-HDS) or concentrated alcoholic ZnO sols. Considering the applications of Zn-HDS and ZnO compounds, as well as interests of these synthesis mechanisms for fundamental chemistry, such investigations are of importance. This strategy not only allows preparing Zn-HDS compounds at room temperature but also brings evidence of some new nucleation-growth, and permits the preparation of well crystalline ZnO nanocrystals at low temperature (maximum 60 degrees C). It was possible to convincingly prove that the formation of Zn-HDS phase is concomitant to the ZnO nanocrystals formation and that Zn-HDS could be considered as an intermediate initiator of ZnO nanocrystals. A parallel approach was used for the fast screening of the synthesis progress.     

Syringe pump-assisted synthesis of water-soluble cubic structure Ag2Se nanocrystals by a cation-exchange reaction

Water-soluble cubic structure Ag(2)Se (alpha-Ag(2)Se) nanocrystals smaller than 5 nm can be obtained by cation-exchange reaction at room temperature, using water-dispersed ZnSe nanocrystals as precursors, which is achieved by controlling the injection speed of AgNO(3) solutions via a syringe pump in the presence of the stabilizer of trisodium citrate. Meanwhile, the thermal stability of the product Ag(2)Se nanocrystals is studied. The results show that the mean sizes and shapes of the precursor ZnSe and product Ag(2)Se nanocrystals are similar, and Se anion sublattices between them are topotaxial. In addition, no phase transition is observed for the product Ag(2)Se (cubic structure) nanocrystals below 180 degrees C. The present synthetic method based on cation-exchange reactions can also be applied to the syntheses of PbSe and CuSe nanocrystals.     

Selective degradation of chemical bonds: from single-source molecular precursors to metallic Ag and semiconducting Ag2S nanocrystals via instant thermal activation

Selective formation of metallic Ag and semiconducting Ag(2)S nanocrystals has been achieved via a modified hot-injection process from a single-source precursor molecule, Ag(SCOPh), which can potentially generate both [Ag] and [AgS] fragments simultaneously. When the precursor molecules are injected into a preheated reaction system at 160 degrees C, spherical Ag(2)S nanocrystals are directly obtained even without a molecular activator, such as alkylamines. Mixtures of Ag and Ag(2)S or pure metallic Ag nanocrystals are obtained if the precursor molecules are injected at lower than 160 degrees C or room temperature. These results are attributed to the direct transfer of thermal energies to precursor molecules, which are enough to dissociate S-C as well as Ag-S bonds simultaneously. Detailed characterizations about the produced nanocrystals have been performed using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), as well as energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectrum.     

Formation of ordered self-assembled monolayers by adsorption of octylthiocyanates on Au(111)

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were formed by the spontaneous adsorption of octythiocyanate (OTC) on Au(111) using both solution and ambient-pressure vapor deposition methods at room temperature and 50 degrees C. The surface structures and adsorption characteristics of the OTC SAMs on Au(111) were characterized by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The STM observation showed that OTC SAMs formed in solution at room temperature have unique surface structures including the formation of ordered and disordered domains, vacancy islands, and structural defects. Moreover, we revealed for the first time that the adsorption of OTC on Au(111) in solution at 50 degrees C led to the formation of SAMs containing small ordered domains, whereas the SAMs formed by vapor deposition at 50 degrees C had long-range ordered domains, which can be described as (radical3 x 2 radical19)R5 degrees structures. XPS measurements of the peaks in the S 2p and N 1s regions for the OTC SAMs showed that vapor deposition is the more effective method as compared to solution deposition for obtaining high-quality SAMs by adsorption of OTC on gold. The results obtained will be very useful in understanding the SAM formation of organic thiocyanates on gold surfaces.     

Synthesis and magnetic properties of silica-coated FePt nanocrystals

Colloidal FePt nanocrystals, 6 nm in diameter, were synthesized and then coated with silica (SiO2) shells. The silica shell thickness could be varied from 10 to 25 nm. As-made FePt@SiO2 nanocrystals have low magnetocrystalline anisotropy due to a compositionally disordered FePt core. When films of FePt@SiO2 particles are annealed under hydrogen at 650 degrees C or above, the FePt core transforms to the compositionally ordered L1(0) phase, and superparamagnetic blocking temperatures exceeding room temperature are obtained. The SiO2 shell prevents FePt coalescence at annealing temperatures up to approximately 850 degrees C. Annealing under air or nitrogen does not induce the FePt phase transition. The silica shell limits magnetic dipole coupling between the FePt nanocrystals; however, low temperature (5 K) and room temperature magnetization scans show slightly constricted hysteresis loops with coercivities that decrease systematically with decreased shell thickness, possibly resulting from differences in magnetic dipole coupling between particles.     

Synthesis and magnetic properties of colloidal MnPt3 nanocrystals

The colloidal synthesis and magnetic properties of MnPt(3) nanocrystals are reported. The nanocrystal size depended on the Mn reactant used, but the Mn:Pt stoichiometry was always 1:3. As synthesized, the nanocrystals are compositionally disordered with the face-centered cubic (fcc) A1 phase. Annealing at 580 degrees C changed the MnPt(3) crystal structure to the compositionally ordered L1(2) phase (AuCu(3) structure) with higher magnetocrystalline anisotropy. Magnetization measurements showed that the A1 nanocrystals are paramagnetic and the L1(2) MnPt(3) nanocrystals are superparamagnetic.     

Size-controllable one-dimensional SnO2 nanocrystals: synthesis, growth mechanism, and gas sensing property

Single crystalline one-dimensional (1-D) SnO(2) nanocrystals with controllable sizes, including the diameter and the aspect ratio, were synthesized by modulating the precursor concentration, reaction time and temperature via a solution method. By regulating the growth in a kinetic regime, a higher temperature range (220-240 degrees C) was beneficial to the growth of SnO(2) nanowires, while reactions below 220 degrees C only resulted in nanorods or even nanoparticles. The aggregates of SnO(2) nanocrystals in the forms of hollow spheres and dendrites were observed as the intermediates for the nanowires. Based on the TEM and SEM observations, the growth mechanism is discussed from the viewpoints of the nature of the reverse micelles and the crystal habit of rutile SnO(2). CO gas sensing measurements were also carried out for SnO(2) nanocrystals with different assembly styles. The results indicate that the sensitivity had close correlation to the specific surface area of the nanocrystals.     

CF2Cl2 decomposition over nanocrystalline MgO: evidence for long induction periods

CF(2)Cl(2) has been found to react with nanoscale MgO at 325 degrees C and higher temperatures. In excess of the halocarbon, the reaction results in the formation of MgF(2) as a predominant solid product, with CCl(4), and CO(2) formed as the main gaseous products. The kinetics of the process is characterized by a prolonged induction period, which is as long as 8.5 h at 325 degrees C. The length of the induction period decreases with temperature increase and becomes negligible at 500 degrees C. Complete CF(2)Cl(2) mineralization has been achieved in an excess of MgO at 450 degrees C. Detailed HRTEM and EDX analysis has shown that the induction period involves the formation of small amounts of magnesium halides on the oxide surface and results in its reconstruction leading to initial oriental ordering of the nanocrystals followed by substantial changes in the bulk composition of the nanoparticles. The reaction proved to be structurally sensitive. It has been found that deep fluoridation is possible only for nanoscale MgO samples. The use of samples with lower surface areas results in lengthening of the induction period and decrease of the reaction depth. The MgO transformation to MgF(2) has been found to result in a surface area decrease by more that an order of magnitude as a result of intense sintering of magnesium fluoride under the reaction conditions.     

Heterostructured Tin oxide-pillared tetratitanate with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Here we point out that the nanocrystals well ordered in compact hexagonal networks are highly stable compared to the same nanocrystals either isolated on a substrate or ordered in a less compact manner. The emergence of unexpected collective physical intrinsic properties results in the nanocrystals being ordered over a long distance in colloidal crystals called supracrystals. Some morphologies of nanocrystals ordered, at the micrometer scale, in 3D superlattices called supracrystals are similar to those obtained with atoms in nanocrystals. From a comparison between vibrational and magnetic properties of supracrystals and aggregates composed of the same nanocrystals, it is proposed that nanocrystals in a supracrystal could behave as atoms in a nanocrystal. From these data a possible analogy between nanocrystals in a supracrystal and atoms in nanocrystals is proposed.     

孔道三维相互连通锐钛矿TiO2-SiO2纳米复合介孔材料的制备及其高光催化活性

本文报道一种孔道三维相互连通锐钛矿TiO2-SiO2纳米复合介孔材料的制备.该介孔材料是以两维六方有序结构、直孔道、锐钛矿70TiO2-30SiO2-950纳米复合介孔材料(于950oC晶化2 h)为前驱体, NaOH为SiO2的刻蚀剂,通过“在孔壁内造孔”的方法获得.我们的策略是采用温和的造孔条件,如稀NaOH溶液,合适的温度与固/液比等.采用X射线衍射(XRD),透射电镜(TEM)和低温N2吸附等技术对样品的介孔结构进行了系统表征.结果表明,墙内孔的密度非常高,孔径均一(平均尺寸3.6 nm),且在三维网络高度连通原孔道,但介孔结构仍保持其完整性.锐钛矿纳米晶粒的结晶度和大小在墙内造孔前后基本保持不变.该材料光催化降解罗丹明B(0.303 min–1)与亚甲基蓝(0.757 min–1)的活性相当高,此活性分别是其母体材料的5.1和5.3倍,甚至是Degussa P25光催化剂的16.5和24.1倍.这充分表明三维连通孔道结构对活性的大幅提高起了关键作用.孔道三维连通式锐钛矿TiO2-SiO2纳米复合介孔材料对上述污染物展现出意想不到的高降解活性,显著高于迄今已报道的金属氧化物基介孔材料对上述污染物的降解活性.更重要的是,该光催化剂具有相当高的稳定性和重复使用性.相信,本方法将为具有超高性能的孔道三维相互连通其它金属氧化物基介孔材料的制备铺平了道路.
　　小角XRD结果表明,母体材料的孔道是两维六方有序结构,在孔壁内造孔之后,样品原有的介孔结构仍保持其规整性.宽角XRD结果显示,二氧化钛的晶相是锐钛矿,晶粒尺寸为10.8 nm.造新孔之后,锐钛矿纳米晶粒的结晶度和大小与母体样品的相比变化不大. TEM结果显示,母体样品的孔壁内没有孔.孔道是两维六方有序排列的直孔道,孔径大小均一(平均尺寸4.1 nm).高分辨透射电镜(TEM)观察揭示,锐钛矿纳米晶粒(平均大小11.3 nm)在孔壁内随机排列,并与无定形SiO2纳米颗粒相互连接,相间共存,形成类似“砖块?水泥砂浆”砌成的孔壁,这种独特的复合骨架结构赋予其很高的稳定性.当一些SiO2纳米颗粒被去除之后, TEM观察显示,孔壁内有密集分布的孔,这些孔取向随机,并在三维方向连通原孔道,但介孔骨架结构仍保持其完整性.墙内孔的大小范围很窄(3.1?4.3 nm),平均大小为3.6 nm.高分辨TEM观察显示,锐钛矿晶粒大小与母体材料内的相比基本未变.上述结果与XRD结果一致.低温N2吸附表征结果显示,母体样品内只有一种孔道,孔径为4.0 nm.去除部分SiO2后的样品内有两种孔道,孔径分别是3.4和4.1 nm.这些结果与TEM的观察吻合.罗丹明B与亚甲基蓝在造孔前后样品内扩散速率评价结果显示,其在三维连通孔道内的扩散速率很高,大约是其母体材料内的5倍以上.这表明相互连通的孔道网络结构非常有利于客体分子在其内扩散.光催化降解性能评价结果显示,罗丹明B与亚甲基蓝在相互连通孔道内降解的速率相当高,分别是其在不连通孔道内的5.1和5.3倍.这充分证明孔道三维相互连通对活性的大幅提高起了关键作用.我们对材料的稳定性和重复使用性作了评价,经过10次循环使用孔道三维相互连通锐钛矿TiO2-SiO2纳米复合介孔材料,其吸附与光催化降解罗丹明B的性能变化不大.这充分证明本文制备的孔道连通复合介孔材料的性能是相当稳定的和可重复使用的.该方法可用于制备具有超高性能的孔道三维相互连通其它金属氧化物基介孔材料,如Nb2O5, Ta2O5等.     

Characterization of Zr-doped TiO2 nanocrystals prepared by a nonhydrolytic sol-gel method at high temperatures

Highly crystalline and surface-modified Zr-doped TiO(2) nanorods were successfully prepared using a nonhydrolytic sol-gel method that involves the condensation of metal halides with alkoxides in anhydrous trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) at either 320 or 400 degrees C. In addition, the interaction of the cross-condensation between the Ti and Zr species was studied by characterizing the morphologies, crystalline structures, chemical compositions, surface properties, and band gaps of the nanocrystals obtained at different reaction temperatures and Zr-to-Ti stoichiometric ratios. Increases in the concentration of Zr(4+) and in the reaction temperature led to large nanorods and regular shapes, respectively. In addition, only the anatase form was observed in the Zr-doped TiO(2) nanorods. The Zr-to-Ti ratios obtained ranged from 0.01 to 2.05, all of which were far below the stoichiometric ratios used during the preparation of the samples (0.25-4). Moreover, the Zr(4+) units accumulated mainly at the surface of the TiO(2) nanocrystals. The band gaps of the Zr-doped TiO(2) nanorods ranged from 2.8 to 3.8 eV, which are smaller than those of pure TiO(2) (3.7 eV) or ZrO(2) (5.2 eV). The Zr-doped anatase TiO(2) nanorods prepared at 400 degrees C at an initial stoichiometric Zr-to-Ti ratio of 2:3 exhibited the highest photoactivities for the decomposition of rhodamine B because of the presence of trace amounts of Zr(4+) (Zr/Ti = 0.03) in the TiO(2) and the regular shapes of these particles. DSC analysis indicated that the temperatures for forming nanocrystalline TiO(2) and ZrO(2) were 207 and 340 degrees C, respectively. Moreover, the reactivities of condensation between the Ti species were reduced when Zr species were involved in the NHSG reactions. The results obtained in this study clearly demonstrate that the faster kinetics for the generation of TiO(2) controls the material properties as well as the photoactivities of the nonhydrolytic sol-gel-derived nanocrystals.     

2D self-organization of core/shell Co(hcp)/Co nanocrystals

In this paper we report the preparation of ordered hexagonal 2D arrays of core/shell Cohcp/CoO nanocrystals. A full structural investigation has been carried out using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy.     

Synthesis of highly ordered mesoporous crystalline WS(2) and MoS(2) via a high-temperature reductive sulfuration route

A high-temperature reductive sulfuration method is demonstrated to synthesize highly ordered mesoporous metal sulfide crystallites by using mesoporous silica as hard templates. H2S gas is utilized as a sulfuration agent to in situ convert phosphotungstic acid H3PW12O40.6H2O to hexagonal WS2 crystallites in the silica nanochannels at 600 degrees C. Upon etching silica, mesoporous, layered WS2 nanocrystal arrays are produced with a yield as high as 96 wt %. XRD, nitrogen sorption, SEM, and TEM results reveal that the WS2 products replicated from the mesoporous silica SBA-15 hard template possess highly ordered hexagonal mesostructure (space group, p6mm) and rodlike morphology, analogous to the mother template. The S-W-S trilayers of the WS2 nanocrystals are partially oriented, parallel to the mesochannels of the SBA-15 template. This orientation is related with the reduction of the high-energy layer edges in layered metal dichalcogenides and the confinement in anisotropic nanochannels. The mesostructure can be 3-D cubic bicontinuous if KIT-6 (Iad) is used as a hard template. Mesoporous WS2 replicas have large surface areas (105-120 m2/g), pore volumes ( approximately 0.20 cm3/g), and narrow pore size distributions ( approximately 4.8 nm). By one-step nanocasting with the H3PMo12O40.6H2O (PMA) precursor into the mesochannels of SBA-15 or KIT-6 hard template, highly ordered mesoporous MoS2 layered crystallites with the 2-D hexagonal (p6mm) and 3-D bicontinuous cubic (Iad) structures can also be prepared via this high-temperature reductive sulfuration route. When the loading amount of PMA precursor is low, multiwalled MoS2 nanotubes with 5-7 nm in diameter can be obtained. The high-temperature reductive sulfuration method is a general strategy and can be extended to synthesize mesoporous CdS crystals and other metal sulfides.     

Controllable and repeatable synthesis of thermally stable anatase nanocrystal-silica composites with highly ordered hexagonal mesostructures

In this article, we report a controllable and reproducible approach to prepare highly ordered 2-D hexagonal mesoporous crystalline TiO2-SiO2 nanocomposites with variable Ti/Si ratios (0 to infinity). XRD, TEM, and N2 sorption techniques have been used to systematically investigate the pore wall structure, and thermal stability functioned with the synthetic conditions. The resultant materials are ultra highly stable (over 900 degrees C), have large uniform pore diameters (approximately 6.8 nm), and have high Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface areas (approximately 290 m2/g). These mesostructured TiO2-SiO2 composites were obtained using titanium isopropoxide (TIPO) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as precursors and triblock copolymer P123 as a template based on the solvent evaporation-induced co-self-assembly process under a large amount of HCl. Our strategy was the synchronous assembly of titanate and silicate oligomers with triblock copolymer P123 by finely tuning the relative humidity of the surrounding atmosphere and evaporation temperature according to the Ti/Si ratio. We added a large amount of acidity to lower condensation and polymerization rates of TIPO and accelerate the rates for TEOS molecules. TEM and XRD measurements clearly show that the titania is made of highly crystalline anatase nanoparticles, which are uniformly embedded in the pore walls to form the "bricked-mortar" frameworks. The amorphous silica acts as a glue linking the TiO2 nanocrystals and improves the thermal stability. As the silica contents increase, the thermal stability of the resulting mesoporous TiO2-SiO2 nanocomposites increases and the size of anatase nanocrystals decreases. Our results show that the unique composite frameworks make the mesostructures overwhelmingly stable; even with high Ti/Si ratios (> or =80/20) the stability of the composites is higher than 900 degrees C. The mesoporous TiO2-SiO2 nanocomposites exhibit excellent photocatalytic activities (which are higher than that for commercial catalyst P25) for the degradation of rhodamine B in aqueous suspension. The excellent photocatalytic activities are ascribed to the bifunctional effect of highly crystallized anatase nanoparticles and high porosity.     

Controllable synthesis of Cu2S nanocrystals and their assembly into a superlattice

Highly uniform Cu2S nanocrystals with controllable sizes and shapes (circular and elongated) have been synthesized through a novel water-oil interface confined reaction. They can self-assemble into highly ordered multilayer superlattices. By controlling the size and shape of building block nanocrystals, the packing symmetry of the superlattice can be engineered. For circular nanocrystals, both fcc and hcp multilayer superlattices are found in the sample. For elongated nanocrystals, they can also generate a close-packed layer and further stack into a multilayer superlattice. The dipole moment of the inner nanocrystals is useful for their stacking. This work provides a simple bottom-up approach to integrate nanocrystals, as well as to adjust the packing symmetry of the final superlattice, which may have potential applications for nanomaterials and nanodevices in the future.     

Luminescence of Ce3+ in Y2SiO5 nanocrystals: Role of crystal structure and crystal size

Here, we report the role of crystal structure and crystal size on the photoluminescence properties of Ce3+ ions in Y2SiO5 nanocrystals. The emission at 430 nm (5d1 --> 4f1) and lifetime of the excited state of Ce3+ ion doped Y2SiO5 nanocrystals are found to be sensitive to the crystal structure, crystal size, and dopant concentration. It is found that the overall lifetime tau of 0.5 mol % Ce doped Y2SiO5 nanocrystals are 8.78 and 3.45 ns for 1000 and 1100 degrees C heat-treated samples with the same crystal structure (X1-Y2SiO5 phase), respectively. However, a significant increase in the overall lifetime (35.21 ns) is observed for the 1300 degrees C annealed 0.5 mol % Ce doped Y2SiO5 sample having a different crystal structure (X2-Y2SiO5 phase). We found that the decay kinetic is biexponential. It is explained that the fast component arises due to sequential hole-electron capture on the luminescent ions and the slow component arises from isolated ions. Our analysis suggests that modifications of radiative and nonraditive relaxation mechanisms are due to local symmetry structure of the host lattice and crystal size, respectively.