Spontaneous formation of micrometer-size inorganic peapods.
We show that polyoxometalate (ammonium phosphomolybdate) Keggin in aqueous dispersions upon sonication spontaneously transforms into micrometer-sized, peapod-shaped structures. The formation of these peapods is preceded by the generation of spherical aggregates. The particles have been characterized experimentally by time-resolved dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning TEM with a high-angle annular dark field detector (STEM-HAADF) for energy-dispersive X-ray (STEM/EDX) elemental analyses. A pathway for the phenomenon is proposed.
Roy
Soumyajit
S
Van't Hoff Laboratory for Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Debye Institute, University of Utrecht, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands. s.roy@chem.uu.nl
Rijneveld-Ockers
Maria T
MT
Groenewold
Jan
J
Kuipers
Bonny W M
BW
Meeldijk
Hans
H
Kegel
Willem K
WK