Cubic nanoassembly of garnet nanocrystals

A general strategy is demonstrated for achieving a cubic nanoassembly of complex oxide nanocrystals such as yttrium aluminum garnet. The synthesis route is based on the principle of surface energy minimization whilst taking advantage of the material's crystallization pathway. The results show that each nanocrystal in the ensemble is around 10 nm in size and the cubic nanoassembly stretches its dimensions to about 200 nm. Modifying the mechanism that minimizes surface energies during crystallization suggests a new route to structural changes. Doping large cations into the material system transforms the cubic nanoassemblies into single-crystal nanocubes. These approaches provide the general procedures to a template-free ordered nanostructure. They are likely to attract significant interest in a myriad of applications and provide opportunities to fundamentally explore their collective properties. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2009.