Textured-crystal nanoparticles from ligated anionic element reagent complex

1. A method for preparing a reagent complex for nanoparticle synthesis, the method comprising:

measuring a correlation between:

a molar ratio of ligand to zero-valent element in a reagent complex; and

a crystal texture coefficient of at least one lattice plane (hkl) of nanoparticles synthesized using the reagent complex;

selecting a molar ratio of ligand to zero-valent element in a reagent complex, the molar ratio based on the correlation from the measuring step and a desired crystal texture coefficient of nanoparticles;

ball-milling a mixture that includes:

a powder of a zero-valent element;

a hydride molecule; and

a nitrile,

wherein the nitrile is present, relative to the powder of a zero-valent element, at the selected molar ratio of ligand to zero-valent element, and ball-milling the mixture produces the reagent complex having a formula:

Q 0 .X y .L z ,

wherein Q 0 is the zero-valent element, X is the hydride molecule, L is the nitrile, y is an integral or fractional value greater than zero, and z is the molar ratio of nitrile relative to the zero-valent element.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the nitrile comprises undecyl cyanide.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the hydride molecule comprises a borohydride.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the hydride molecule comprises lithium borohydride.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the desired crystal texture coefficient is greater than 1.51.