Chemical synthesis of blue-emitting metallic zinc nano-hexagons

We report a new ligand directed chemical synthesis of hexagonal shaped zinc nanoplates. The produced nano-hexagons (NHexs) display a thickness of about 20-40 nm and diameter ranging from about 200-350 nm, exhibiting a high aspect ratio. While zinc is traditionally highly susceptible to oxidation, these high surface area NHexs possess a remarkable resistance to atmospheric oxidation, owing to their unique surface crystalline faces and the fact that these particles are protected by organic surface ligands. The zinc NHexs size, morphology and chemical properties were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, among other techniques. Photoluminescence spectroscopy analysis revealed blue photoluminescence emission, making these NHexs potentially ideal for optics, optoelectronics or security printing.