title: A pathway of nanocrystallite fabrication by photo-assisted growth in pure water.
abstract: We report a new production pathway for a variety of metal oxide nanocrystallites via submerged illumination in water: submerged photosynthesis of crystallites (SPSC). Similar to the growth of green plants by photosynthesis, nanocrystallites shaped as nanoflowers and nanorods are hereby shown to grow at the protruded surfaces via illumination in pure, neutral water. The process is photocatalytic, accompanied with hydroxyl radical generation via water splitting; hydrogen gas is generated in some cases, which indicates potential for application in green technologies. Together with the aid of ab initio calculation, it turns out that the nanobumped surface, as well as aqueous ambience and illumination are essential for the SPSC method. Therefore, SPSC is a surfactant-free, low-temperature technique for metal oxide nanocrystallites fabrication.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13, W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
authors.forename: Melbert
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeem
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13, W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Rafiq Mirza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: bin Julaihi
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13, W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
authors.forename: Junya
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ishioka
authors.affiliation: 1] Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13, W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan [2] Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13, W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yatsu
authors.affiliation: 1] Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13, W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan [2] Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13, W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: 1] Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13, W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan [2] Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13, W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
authors.forename: Tamaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shibayama
authors.affiliation: Hitachi Research Laboratory, Hitachi Ltd., 7-1-1 Omika, Hitachi, Ibaraki, 319-1292, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.affiliation: 1] Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13, W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan [2] Hitachi Research Laboratory, Hitachi Ltd., 7-1-1 Omika, Hitachi, Ibaraki, 319-1292, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: 1] Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13, W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan [2] Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, N13, W8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe