One-Step Synthesis of Hybrid Liquid-Crystal ZnO Nanoparticles: Existence of a Critical Temperature Associated with the Anisotropy of the Nanoparticles.
Zinc oxide nanoparticles were obtained from the hydrolysis of an organometallic precursor in pure hexadecylamine. Interestingly, we demonstrate that the final (anisotropic or isotropic) shape of the nanoparticles is strongly correlated to the existence of a critical temperature. This suggests that the organization of the fatty amines is a paramount parameter in this synthesis. Moreover, the final hybrid ZnO materials systematically exhibit a liquid-crystal smectic phase, whereas no liquid-crystal phase was observed in the pristine reaction media. This simple process is, therefore, a direct and straightforward method to synthesize liquid-crystal hybrid materials.
Laboratoire des IMRCP CNRS UMR 5623, University of Toulouse, 118, route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 9, France.|Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, CNRS UPR 8241, University of Toulouse, 205, route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
Zhiqin
Z
Zheng
Laboratoire des IMRCP CNRS UMR 5623, University of Toulouse, 118, route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 9, France.|Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, CNRS UPR 8241, University of Toulouse, 205, route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
Rémy
R
Butynska
Department of Biomaterials Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, 14424, Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Clara Valverde
CV
Serrano
Laboratoire des IMRCP CNRS UMR 5623, University of Toulouse, 118, route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
Jean-Daniel
JD
Marty
Laboratoire des IMRCP CNRS UMR 5623, University of Toulouse, 118, route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 9, France. cmingo@chimie.ups-tlse.fr.
Christophe
C
Mingotaud
Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination, CNRS UPR 8241, University of Toulouse, 205, route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse Cedex 9, France. myrtil.kahn@lcc-toulouse.fr.
Myrtil L
ML
Kahn
anisotropic growth; hybrid materials; liquid crystals; luminescence; self-assembly