Ozone-mediated synthesis of nanostructures
A method of producing ceria nanocrystals is provided. The method includes providing a gas that includes ozone to a solution that includes a cerium salt, and obtaining ceria nanocrystals from the solution after the gas is provided to the first solution. A method of producing nanoparticles is provided. The method includes providing a gas that includes ozone to a solution that includes a metal salt that includes at least one of a transition metal or a lanthanide, and producing at least one of metal oxide nanoparticles, metal oxynitrate nanoparticles, or metal oxyhydroxide nanoparticles from the solution after the gas is provided to the solution.
1. A method of producing ceria nanocrystals, the method comprising:
providing a gas comprising ozone to a first solution comprising a cerium salt, wherein the first solution comprises a primary alcohol; and
obtaining ceria nanocrystals from the first solution after the gas is provided to the first solution.
2. The method of claim 1 in which the gas comprises a mixture of oxygen and ozone.
3. The method of claim 1 in which the cerium salt comprises at least one of cerium (III) nitrate or cerium (III) chloride.
4. The method of claim 1 in which the gas is bubbled into the first solution.
5. The method of claim 1 , comprising causing the first solution to change from clear to yellow-orange.
6. The method of claim 5 , comprising generating a first precipitate in the first solution.
7. The method of claim 6 , comprising applying a centrifugal process to a solution that includes material from the first precipitate to produce a second precipitate.
8. The method of claim 7 in which at least a portion of the second precipitate is at least one of red or orange-red.
9. The method of claim 8 , comprising drying the second precipitate to produce the ceria nanocrystals.
10. The method of claim 6 in which at least a portion of the first precipitate is orange-red.
11. The method of claim 1 , in which the first solution consists essentially of a primary alcohol.
12. The method of claim 1 in which the first solution comprises at least one of ethanol, methanol, or 1-propanol.
13. The method of claim 1 in which providing the gas to the first solution and obtaining ceria nanocrystals from the first solution are performed at room temperature.
14. The method of claim 1 in which providing the gas to the first solution and obtaining ceria nanocrystals from the first solution are performed at a temperature in a range from 10° C. to 30° C.
15. The method of claim 1 in which at least some of the ceria nanocrystals have dimensions in a range from 2 nm to 6 nm.
16. The method of claim 1 in which the ceria nanocrystals comprise fluorite structured cerium oxide.
17. The method of claim 1 in which the ceria nanocrystals are obtained from the first solution after the gas is provided to the first solution for a duration of less than one minute.