title: Synthesis of indium nanoparticles at ambient temperature; simultaneous phase transfer and ripening.
abstract: The synthesis of size-monodispersed indium nanoparticles via an innovative simultaneous phase transfer and ripening method is reported. The formation of nanoparticles occurs in a one-step process instead of well-known two-step phase transfer approaches. The synthesis involves the reduction of InCl3with LiBH4at ambient temperature and although the reduction occurs at room temperature, fine indium nanoparticles, with a mean diameter of 6.4 ± 0.4 nm, were obtained directly in non-polarn-dodecane. The direct synthesis of indium nanoparticles inn-dodecane facilitates their fast formation and enhances their size-monodispersity. In addition, the nanoparticles were highly stable for more than 2 months. The nanoparticles were characterised by dynamic light scattering (DLS), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy to determine their morphology, structure and phase purity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 9, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aghazadeh Meshgi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 9, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kriechbaum
authors.affiliation: Materials Chemistry and Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry and the Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland ; AMBER@CRANN, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Subhajit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.affiliation: Materials Chemistry and Analysis Group, Department of Chemistry and the Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland ; AMBER@CRANN, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: Justin D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Stremayrgasse 9, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8586-2889
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marschner
keywords: Colloidal solution; Indium; Monodisperse; Nanoparticle; Reduction synthesis; SAXS