Precise Size Control of the Growth of Fe3O4 Nanocubes over a Wide Size Range Using a Rationally Designed One-Pot Synthesis
Muro Cruces, Javier (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia)
Gómez Roca, Alejandro (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia)
López-Ortega, Alberto (Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha. Departamento de Física Aplicada)
Fantechi, Elvira (University of Pisa. Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale and INSTM)
Del Pozo Bueno, Daniel (Universitat de Barcelona. Departament d'Enginyeria Electrònica i Biomèdica)
Estrade, Sonia (Universitat de Barcelona. Departament d'Electrònica)
Peiro, Francesca (Universitat de Barcelona. Departament d'Electrònica)
Sepúlveda, Borja (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia)
Pineider, Francesco (University of Pisa. Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale and INSTM)
Sangregorio, Claudio (ICCOM-CNR)
Nogués, Josep (Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia)

Date:	2019
Abstract:	The physicochemical properties of spinel oxide magnetic nanoparticles depend critically on both their size and shape. In particular, spinel oxide nanocrystals with cubic morphology have shown superior properties in comparison to their spherical counterparts in a variety of fields, like, for example, biomedicine. Therefore, having an accurate control over the nanoparticle shape and size, while preserving the crystallinity, becomes crucial for many applications. However, despite the increasing interest in spinel oxide nanocubes there are relatively few studies on this morphology due to the difficulty to synthesize perfectly defined cubic nanostructures, especially below 20 nm. Here we present a rationally designed synthesis pathway based on the thermal decomposition of iron(III) acetylacetonate to obtain high quality nanocubes over a wide range of sizes. This pathway enables the synthesis of monodisperse FeO nanocubes with edge length in the 9-80 nm range, with excellent cubic morphology and high crystallinity by only minor adjustments in the synthesis parameters. The accurate size control provides evidence that even 1-2 nm size variations can be critical in determining the functional properties, for example, for improved nuclear magnetic resonance T contrast or enhanced magnetic hyperthermia. The rationale behind the changes introduced in the synthesis procedure (e. g. , the use of three solvents or adding Na-oleate) is carefully discussed. The versatility of this synthesis route is demonstrated by expanding its capability to grow other spinel oxides such as Co-ferrites, Mn-ferrites, and MnO of different sizes. The simplicity and adaptability of this synthesis scheme may ease the development of complex oxide nanocubes for a wide variety of applications.
Grants:	Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2017/SGR-292 Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2017/SGR-776 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad MAT2016-77391-R Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad MAT2016-79455-P Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad SEV-2017-0706
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió sotmesa a revisió
Subject:	Magnetic nanoparticles ; Nanoparticles synthesis ; Magnetic hyperthermia ; Magnetic resonance imaging ; Iron oxides ; Nanocubes ; Anisometric nanoparticles
Published in:	ACS nano, Vol. 13, Issue 7 (July 2019) , p. 7716-7728, ISSN 1936-086X

DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b01281
PMID: 31173684

Preprint 31 p, 1.4 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles