The Role of Ligands in the Chemical Synthesis and Applications of Inorganic Nanoparticles.

The design of nanoparticles is critical for their efficient use in many applications ranging from biomedicine to sensing and energy. While shape and size are responsible for the properties of the inorganic nanoparticle core, the choice of ligands is of utmost importance for the colloidal stability and function of the nanoparticles. Moreover, the selection of ligands employed in nanoparticle synthesis can determine their final size and shape. Ligands added after nanoparticle synthesis infer both new properties as well as provide enhanced colloidal stability. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review on the role of the ligands with respect to the nanoparticle morphology, stability, and function. We analyze the interaction of nanoparticle surface and ligands with different chemical groups, the types of bonding, the final dispersibility of ligand-coated nanoparticles in complex media, their reactivity, and their performance in biomedicine, photodetectors, photovoltaic devices, light-emitting devices, sensors, memory devices, thermoelectric applications, and catalysis.

Manganese doped-iron oxide nanoparticle clusters and their potential as agents for magnetic resonance imaging and hyperthermia.

A simple, one pot method to synthesize water-dispersible Mn doped iron oxide colloidal clusters constructed of nanoparticles arranged into secondary flower-like structures was developed. This method allows the successful incorporation and homogeneous distribution of Mn within the nanoparticle iron oxide clusters. The formed clusters retain the desired morphological and structural features observed for pure iron oxide clusters, but possess intrinsic magnetic properties that arise from Mn doping. They show distinct performance as imaging contrast agents and excellent characteristics as heating mediators in magnetic fluid hyperthermia. It is expected that the outcomes of this study will open up new avenues for the exploitation of doped magnetic nanoparticle assemblies in biomedicine.

Coupled commensurate cation and charge modulation in the tunneled structure, Na(0.40(2))MnO(2).

Na(0.40(2))MnO(2) belongs to a family of mixed Mn(3+) and Mn(4+) porous oxides that contains both octahedral and square pyramidal Mn-O units. Neutron and synchrotron radiation studies identify the presence of both sodium ordering (T(Na) ≈ 310 K) and Mn charge and orbital ordering. Below T(Na), the centrosymmetric Pbam structure adopts an (ab 4c) supercell of Pnnm symmetry that accommodates a coupled commensurate modulation down the c-axis channels of both Na position and occupancy with Mn valence.