Synthesis of Metal Oxide Semiconductor Nanoparticles from a Molecular Cluster Compound

摘要

A method for producing metal oxide nanoparticles is described. The method of the present invention comprises reacting a nanoparticle precursor in the presence of a population of molecular cluster compounds. The molecular cluster compound may or may not contain the same metal as the metal to be present in the metal oxide nanoparticles. In addition, the molecular cluster compound may or may not contain oxygen. The molecular cluster compound acts as a seed or template that initiates the capillaries of the nanoparticles. The molecular cluster compounds are all identical, and the same nucleation site generates a highly monodispersed population of metal oxide nanoparticles.