Ordered Self-Assembling of Tetrahedral Oxide Nanocrystals

Self-assembling of size, shape, and phase controlled nanocrystals into superlattices with translational and even orientational ordering is a new approach for engineering nanocrystal materials and devices. High purity tetrahedral nanocrystals of CoO, with edge lengths of $4.4\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2$ nm, were synthesized and separated from Co nanocrystals, using a novel magnetic field phase-selection technique. Self-assembling of the faceted CoO nanocrystals forms ordered superlattices, the structures of which are determined.