One-Step Synthesis of Nearly Monodisperse, Variable-Shaped In2O3Nanocrystals in Long Chain Alcohol Solutions

Abstract

Nearly monodisperse, variable-shaped In2O3 NCs have been synthesized from different indium−organic precursors in oleyl alcohol solutions at 320 °C under both nitrogen and air atmospheres. When indium(III) acetate (In(ac)3) was employed as the metal precursor, spheroidal In2O3 NCs with an average diameter of 9.2 nm were obtained in a nitrogen atmosphere, whereas nanoparticles with an incompletely developed morphology were obtained under air. Cubic In2O3 NCs with sizes of about 7 and 20 nm were produced in an air atmosphere when indium(III) acetylacetonate (In(acac)3) and indium(III) isopropoxide (In(OiPr)3), respectively, were used as precursors. For the In2O3 NCs synthesized from In(ac)3 and In(OiPr)3, the influence of oxygen (air) on the growth kinetics as well as on the morphology of the resulting nanoparticles was also investigated. On the basis of the FT-IR studies of the postreaction solutions, different reaction mechanisms, depending on the nature of the metal precursor, were proposed. The variable-...