Monofacet-Selective Cavitation within Solid-State Silica-Nanoconfinement toward Janus Iron Oxide Nanocube

• Published in: Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 140; no. 45; pp. 15176 - 15180
• Main Authors: Lee, Sunyi, Kumari, Nitee, Jeon, Ki-Wan, Kumar, Amit, Kumar, Sumit, Koo, Jung Hun, Lee, Jihwan, Cho, Yoon-Kyoung, Lee, In Su
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 14.11.2018
• ISSN: 0002-7863; 1520-5126
• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b09869

Here, a highly selective solid-state nanocrystal conversion strategy is developed toward concave iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanocube with an open-mouthed cavity engraved exclusively on a single face. The strategy is based on a novel heat-induced nanospace-confined domino-type migration of Fe2+ ions from the SiO2–Fe3O4 interface toward the surrounding silica shell and concomitant self-limiting nanoscale phase-transition to the Fe-silicate form. Equipped with the chemically unique cavity, the produced Janus-type concave iron oxide nanocube was further functionalized with controllable density of catalytic Pt-nanocrystals exclusively on concave sites and utilized as a highly diffusive catalytic Janus nanoswimmer for the efficient degradation of pollutant-dyes in water.