Nanoswords, nanobelts and nanocombs, an expanding wardrobe for the nanopeople!

Lately it seems that nanoputian research hasn’t been particularly hot in the world of organic chemistry, however in crystal engineering the controlled morphological design of nanocrystals has arguably never been hotter. In the fields of biomedicine, optics and electronics the potential application of a variety of nanomaterials has sparked interest around the world, with nanotechnology potentially revolutionising science, technology, engineering and medicine.

A sample of FESEM images of the interesting nanocrystal morphologies created by the research team – check out the paper for more details!

The fundamental properties of any nanomaterial are ultimately determined by particle size and shape, so for every potential application it is crucial that morphology is carefully controlled so the materials possess the desired properties. This Hot Article from Wei Zhong et al. details the team’s investigations into a one-step evaporation process to produce a huge range of nanocrystal morphologies, including nanowires, nanoswords, nanobelts, nanocombs and branched nanorods. To find out how the team achieved this, download their article now, which is free to access for 4 weeks!

Design, growth, and characterization of morphology-tunable CdxZn1−xS nanostructures generated by a one-step thermal evaporation process
Zai-Xing Yang, Peng Zhang, Wei Zhong, Yu Deng, Chak-Tong Au and You-Wei Du

Interested in nanocrystals? You can also download these great articles which are also free to access!

Highly active ZnxCd1−xS photocatalysts containing earth abundant elements only for H2 production from water under visible light
Yabo Wang ,  Jianchun Wu ,  Jianwei Zheng and Rong Xu
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011,1, 940-947
DOI: 10.1039/C1CY00143D

Nanostructured Titania: the current and future promise of Titania nanotubes
Kevin C. Schwartzenberg and Kimberly A. Gray
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2CY00538G

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