Herein we report a facile method to synthesize anatase nanocrystals (NCs) with uniform size and shape via a microwave-assisted route in ionic liquid. These NCs are highly crystalline, low in Ti3+ defect, and free of aggregation.

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The design of nanocomposites consisting of functional metals and different matrices is a promising research area for the fabrication of a variety of catalysts, adsorbents, and optical and electrical devices. Montmorillonite (MMT), which is a type of naturally occurring clay, can be structurally defined as layers of negatively charged two-dimensional silicate sheets that are separated by interlayer cationic species with a high exchange ability for other cations.[1] Such layered materials have been used as host materials for the preparation of composites and have potential applications in catalysis, separation, and the optical and electrical fields.[2] For example, Pd nanoparticles deposited on MMT with surfactants exhibit a high selectivity for the partial hydrogenation of 1-phenyl-1-pentyne to 1-phenyl-cis-1-pentene, [3] and Sc 3+

Ultrasmall SnO2 nanocrystals as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been synthesized by bubbling an oxidizing gas into hot surfactant solutions containing Sn-oleate complexes. Annealing of the particles in N2 carbonifies the densely packed surface capping ligands resulting in carbon encapsulated SnO2 nanoparticles (SnO2/C). Carbon encapsulation can effectively buffer the volume changes during the lithiation/delithiation process. The assembled SnO2/C thus deliver extraordinarily high reversible capacity of 908 mA·h·g−1 at 0.5 C as well as excellent cycling performance in the LIBs. This method demonstrates the great potential of SnO2/C nanoparticles for the design of high power LIBs.

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Hollow polymer nanospheres were employed in the fabrication of noble metal-supported catalysts via a supercritical route. In this method, the metal precursors were first adsorbed on the polymer support in a supercritical CO 2 -ethanol solution, followed by H 2 reduction, generating metal (Pd, Rh, Pt)/polymer composites. The resultant Pd/polymer nanospheres were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. It was indicated that the Pd nanoparticles with a size of about 5 nm were uniformly attached to the surface of the polymer spheres. The activities of the Pd/polymer composites for the allyl alcohol hydrogenation and Heck reaction were also investigated. The catalyst exhibited a high activity and stability in these two reactions.

The synthesis of high-quality cadmium phosphide quantum dots with emission wavelength maxima in the range from 1200 to approximately 760 nm are reported. The results demonstrate that the nucleation and growth linked with the optical properties can be controlled by the temperature, the growth time, and the addition of ligands such as oleylamine and trioctylphosphine. Photoelectrochemical investigations revealed that the cadmium phosphide QD-derivatized electrodes show an optical response and that photocurrents of several nanoamperes per square centimeter can be obtained upon illumination.