📋 Workflow
Full workflow, products add-to-cart directly1
Prepare precursor solution
30 minWeigh the metal salt or precursor and dissolve in solvent to a set concentration.
💡 Tip Precursor purity directly determines product quality; use high-purity grade.
⚠️ Caution Some precursors are moisture-sensitive; handle in an inert-atmosphere glovebox.
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2
Ligands & reductants
20 minAdd surface ligands (oleic acid/oleylamine) to control morphology and a reductant to trigger nucleation.
💡 Tip The ligand-to-precursor molar ratio is key to size control.
⚠️ Caution Add reductant dropwise and slowly to avoid local over-concentration and agglomeration.
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3
Temperature-controlled reaction
2 hHeat to the reaction temperature under stirring and hold to let particles nucleate and grow.
💡 Tip Heating rate affects nucleation uniformity; ramp linearly.
⚠️ Caution Hot solvents are flammable; ensure ventilation and explosion safety.
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4
Wash & centrifuge
40 minPrecipitate with a poor solvent, collect by centrifugation, wash repeatedly to remove excess ligands.
💡 Tip Alternate ethanol/acetone washes to remove free ligands more thoroughly.
⚠️ Caution Excessive centrifugation speed pellets small particles too; control carefully.
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5
Characterization
1 hCheck morphology/size by TEM, absorption by UV-Vis, hydrodynamic size by DLS.
💡 Tip Confirm actual size by TEM first, then cross-check with DLS.
⚠️ Caution Disperse samples well to avoid aggregation artifacts.
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⚠️ 5 Common Beginner Mistakes
- ① Non-uniform nucleation: temperature/concentration fluctuation causes polydispersity
- ② Agglomeration: insufficient ligand or over-washing
- ③ Uncontrolled size: wrong ligand ratio
- ④ Oxidation: metal nanoparticles oxidize in air
- ⑤ Low yield: excessive loss during centrifugation/washing
❓ FAQ
+What if particle size distribution is too broad?
Separate nucleation from growth: lower precursor concentration, fast injection, precise temperature control, more ligand.
+How to prevent nanoparticle agglomeration?
Increase ligand coverage, sonicate, and control wash cycles and centrifugation speed.
+How to confirm successful synthesis?
Combine TEM (morphology), UV-Vis (characteristic peaks) and XRD (crystal phase).