We have synthesized firework-like Co2P nanostructures using a simple and reliable thermal decomposition route with the precursors, triphenyl phosphine and cobalt acetylacetonate, in oleylamine. The optimized reaction temperature is within a narrow window around 280 _C. The nanostructures have a firework-like morphology with nanoneedles growing out of a center core. The nanoneedles are single crystals with clean surfaces, about 200 nm in length, and a tapering tip less than 10 nm in diameter. These nanostructures exhibit Curie–Weiss PM behavior with the effective moment determined as 2.46 mB per FU. Based on the synthesis designs with detailed characterizations on the intermediates at different stages of the phase formation, the growth mechanism of the firework-like Co2P nanostructures is proposed. It is feasible to apply this method of synthesis for some of the other transition-metal phosphide nanostructures.

ZnS nanomaterials at different dimensions, from nanoparticles, nanobelts to nanotetrapods have been synthesized in the same solvothermal system, which is kinetically controlled by ethylenediamine. Microscopy analysis reveals that the four arms of tetrapod are grownfromZn-terminated surfaces of an octahedral core by alternately stacking zinc blende and wurtzite structures along [111]/[0001] direction, while the ZnS nanobelts are selfassembled along [0001] direction by ultra-small wurtzite nanocrystals. These nanobelts can be transformed into their single-crystal counterparts and ZnO/ZnS heterostructures by thermal treatment. Uv–visible analysis demonstrates that the heterostructure presents a strain-induced staggered Type-II band structure. These investigation results suggest an efficient approach for phase-controlled synthesis of nanostructures in group II–VI semiconductors.

TbMnO3 thin films with different crystallographic orientations were deposited epitaxially on LaAlO3 [100] and SrTiO3 [100] single crystal substrates by using pulsed laser deposition. Magnetization measurements were performed along the [110], [_110], and [001] directions of the films. Obvious magnetic anisotropy and low temperature ferromagnetism were found. Transitions at T_10, 32, 120, and 125K along different directions are observed. The susceptibility anomalies, remarkably anisotropic, are discussed on the frame of the domain wall and strain-induced distortion. Particularly, the lattice mismatch and the anisotropic thermal expansion between the films and substrates are likely responsible for the distortion behaviors.

A series of highly uniform one-dimensional Ni nanochains, with diameters ranging from 20 to 200 nm, have been synthesized by a facile, template-free, wet chemical method at diverse temperature and magnetic field. Our results indicate that the crystallite size, diameter and length of the prepared nanochains depend critically on the reaction temperature. The characteristic thermodynamic cohesive energies, ΔED and ΔEL, are obtained for the formation of the Ni nanochains. In addition, the chain length also depends on the applied field because of the Zeeman energy of the magnetic Ni nanoparticles. For the morphology control, an external field is required in order to obtain axially aligned rather than dendritic nanochains. The size-dependent magnetic properties are studied systematically. The saturation magnetization is shown to reduce inversely with the chain diameter, attributable to a core-shell structure. The thickness of the shell which encloses the ferromagnetic Ni core is determined to be about 2.3-3.4 nm.