Facet Tunability of Aluminum Nanocrystals.

Dhindsa, Parmeet; Solti, David; Jacobson, Christian R; Kuriakose, Anvy; Naidu, Gopal Narmada; Bayles, Aaron; Yuan, Yigao; Nordlander, Peter et al. · Nano Lett · 2022

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Aluminum nanocrystals (Al NCs) with a well-defined size and shape combine unique plasmonic properties with high earth abundance, potentially ideal for applications where sustainability and cost are important factors. It has recently been shown that single-crystal Al {100} nanocubes can be synthesized by the decomposition of AlH<sub>3</sub> with Tebbe's reagent, a titanium(IV) catalyst with two cyclopentadienyl ligands. By systematically modifying the catalyst molecular structure, control of the NC growth morphology is observed spectroscopically, as the catalyst stabilizes the {100} NC facets. By varying the catalyst concentration, Al NC faceted growth is tunable from {100} faceted nanocubes to {111} faceted octahedra. This study provides direct insight into the role of catalyst molecular structure in controlling Al NC morphology.