Large-scale nonhydrolytic sol-gel synthesis of uniform-sized ceria nanocrystals with spherical, wire, and tadpole shapes

(Figure Presented) Spawning nanostructures: Uniform-sized ceria nanocrystals with sphere, wire, and tadpole shapes were synthesized from the nonhydrolytic sol-gel reaction of cerium(III) nitrate and diphenyl ether in the presence of appropriate surfactants. The picture shows a TEM image of a batch of tadpole-shaped nanowires (bottom left) and low-magnification and high-resolution TEM images of a single tadpole-shaped nanowire (right and top left, respectively).