Particle placement and sheet topological control in the fabrication of Ag-hexaniobate nanocomposites.

Synthetic methods are demonstrated that allow for the fabrication of Ag-hexaniobate nanocomposites with directed nanoparticle (NP) placement and nanosheet morphological control. The solvothermal treatment of exfoliated nanosheets (NSs) in the presence of Ag NPs leads to a high yield of Ag nanocomposites. This approach is quite flexible and, with control of time and temperature, can be used to produce nanocomposites with specific architectures; Ag NPs can be attached to nanosheets, attached to the surfaces of nanoscrolls, or at higher temperatures, captured within nanoscrolls to form nanopeapod (NPP) structures.

Peapod-type nanocomposites through the in situ growth of gold nanoparticles within preformed hexaniobate nanoscrolls.

A facile in situ method to grow Au nanoparticles (NPs) in hexaniobate nanoscrolls is applied to the formation of plasmonic Au@hexaniobate and bifunctional plasmonic-magnetic Au-Fe3 O4 @hexaniobate nanopeapods (NPPs). Utilizing a solvothermal treatment, rigid multiwalled hexaniobate nanoscrolls and partially filled Fe3 O4 @hexaniobate NPPs were first fabricated. These nanostructures were then used as templates for the controlled in situ growth of Au NPs.