The optical properties and charge trapping phenomena observed on oxide nanocrystal ensembles can be strongly influenced by the presence of nanocrystal interfaces. MgO powders represent a convenient system to study these effects due to the well-defined shape and controllable size distributions of MgO nanocrystals. The spectroscopic properties of nanocrystal interfaces are investigated by monitoring the dependence of absorption characteristics on the concentration of the interfaces in the nanopowders. The presence of interfaces is found to affect the absorption spectra of nanopowders more significantly than changing the size of the constituent nanocrystals and, thus, leading to the variation of the relative abundance of light-absorbing surface structures. We find a strong absorption band in the 4.0−5.5 eV energy range, which was previously attributed to surface features of individual nanocrystals, such as corners and edges. These findings are supported by complementary first-principles calculations. The possibility to directly address such interfaces by tuning the energy of excitation may provide new means for functionalization and chemical activation of nanostructures and can help improve performance and reliability for many nanopowder applications.

Stability parameters and dissolution behavior of engineered nanomaterials in aqueous systems are critical to assess their functionality and fate under environmental conditions. Using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction, we investigated the stability of cubic MgO particles in water. MgO dissolution proceeding via water dissociation at the oxide surface, disintegration of Mg(2+)-O(2-) surface elements, and their subsequent solvation ultimately leads to precipitation of Mg(OH)2 nanosheets. At a pH ≥ 10, MgO nanocubes with a size distribution below 10 nm quantitatively dissolve within few minutes and convert into Mg(OH)2 nanosheets. This effect is different from MgO cubes originating from magnesium combustion in air. With a size distribution in the range 10 nm ≤ d ≤ 1000 nm they dissolve with a significantly smaller dissolution rate in water. On these particles water induced etching generates (110) faces which, above a certain face area, dissolve at a rate equal to that of (100) planes.1 The delayed solubility of microcrystalline MgO is attributed to surface hydroxide induced self-inhibition effects occurring at the (100) and (110) microplanes. The present work underlines the importance of morphology evolution and surface faceting of engineered nanomaterials particles during their dissolution.

International audienceThe surfaces of alkaline earth oxides emit bright, colored light and have potential as thermally stable inorganic phosphors with adsorption-dependent optical properties. The doping of thermally stable MgO nanocubes with low-coordinated BaO surface elements (see figure) clearly demonstrates that chemical manipulation of the solid-gas interface provides an efficient means to adjust the optical properties of powders in controlled gas atmosphere

An important and so far neglected class of structural elements affecting the overall properties of metal oxide nanopowders are interfaces between individual nanocrystals. In this work, we show experimentally that these defects inside a powder of compressed MgO nanocubes are subject to photoexcitation in the UV light range. In particular, we identify a so far unobserved photoluminescence emission process at 2.5 eV. First-principles calculations of the optical properties of nanocrystal interfaces provide plausible candidates for both light absorbing and emitting sites, which involve different types of interface features. It was found that edge dislocations that arise from interfaces between nanocube edges and terraces induce a significant electrostatic perturbation of the interfacial electronic states. This leads to exciton generation and luminescence at even lower energies than those related to corners and edges of MgO nanocubes.

Supporting Information. Particle size distributions of MgO, Ba 0.02 Mg 0.98 O, Ba 0.04 Mg 0.96 O, and Ba 0.06 Mg 0.94 O, X-ray diffraction patterns of MgO and Ba 0.06 Mg 0.94 O, phase diagram of MgOÀBaO. This material is available free of charge via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.