Synthesis of sodium tantalate nanorods by alkalide reduction

NaTaO3 nanorods were synthesized with high (>90%) yield by reduction of TaCl5 with THF solutions of the alkalide K+(15C5)2Na-, followed by product annealing under dynamic vacuum at 250 and 600 °C. In addition to the nanorods, the product is comprised of 5-10% 10-nm diameter spheroidal NaTaO3 nanocrystals. The nanorods are generally longer than 500 nm, with some execeeding 1μm, and 10-100 nm wide, with aspect ratios that vary between 10 and 20:1 Select area electron diffraction patterns of individual nanorods indicate that each nanorod is a single crystal with its axis oriented in the [010] direction. Copyright © 2003 American Chemical Society.