Phase-Controlled Synthesis of Colloidal In2O3 Nanocrystals via Size-Structure Correlation

Morphological and phase transformations during the growth of In2O3 nanocrystals are reported. We demonstrate a direct correlation between the nanocrystal size and structure and show that metastable corundum-type In2O3 is a transient structure in the formation of bixbyite-type nanocrystals. Metastable In2O3 call be spontaneously stabilized in nanocrystals below 5 nm.