A New Type of Capping Agent in Nanoscience: Metal Cations

Jiawei Liu; Shaoyan Wang; Kai Cai; Yefei Li; Zhipan Liu; Lingmei Liu; Yu Han; Hong Wang; Heyou Han; Hongyu Chen

doi:10.1002/smll.201900444

A New Type of Capping Agent in Nanoscience: Metal Cations

Small. 2019 May;15(18):e1900444. doi: 10.1002/smll.201900444. Epub 2019 Apr 4.

Authors

Jiawei Liu^{1

2}, Shaoyan Wang², Kai Cai¹, Yefei Li³, Zhipan Liu³, Lingmei Liu⁴, Yu Han⁴, Hong Wang⁵, Heyou Han¹, Hongyu Chen^{2

5}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, College of Science, College of Engineering, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, P. R. China.
² Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637371, Singapore.
³ Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Material, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Key Laboratory of Computational Physical Science (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China.
⁴ Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Center, Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Institute of Advanced Synthesis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, P. R. China.

PMID: 30946534
DOI: 10.1002/smll.201900444

Abstract

Capping agents are the essential factor in nanoscience and nanotechnology. However, the types of capping agents are greatly limited. Defying conventional beliefs, here is shown that metal cations can also be considered as capping agents for oxide nanoparticles, particularly in maintaining their colloidal stability and controlling their facets. Here the general stabilizing effects of multivalent cations for oxide nanoparticles, and the facet controlling role of Al³⁺ ions in the growth and ripening of Cu₂ O octahedra, are demonstrated. This discovery broadens the view of capping agent and opens doors for nanosynthesis, surface treatment, and beyond.

Keywords: aluminium ion; capping agent; cuprous oxide; facet control; metal cations.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't