Seeded growth of asymmetric binary nanocrystals made of a semiconductor TiO₂ rodlike section and a magnetic γ-Fe₂O ₃ spherical domain

Asymmetric binary nanocrystals (BNCs), comprising one c-axis elongated anatase TiO₂ section and one γ-Fe₂O₃ spherical domain attached together, are synthesized by heterogeneous nucleation of iron oxide onto the longitudinal facets of TiO₂ nanorods in a ternary surfactant mixture. The topologically controlled composition of the BNCs is ascertained by a combination of powder X-ray diffraction, Raman and Mössbauer spectroscopy, high-angle annular dark-field imaging, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy lattice fringe mapping, while their size-dependent magnetic behavior is demonstrated by ac susceptibility measurements. The heteroepitaxial growth proceeds through a mechanism never observed before for colloidal nanoheterostructures: the two domains share a restricted and locally curved junction region, which accommodates efficiently the interfacial strain and retards the formation of misfit dislocations. It is believed that these BNCs, which combine the properties of two technologically relevant oxide materials, can pave the way to reinforced applications in several fields of nanoscience, such as in photocatalysis, in malignant cell treatments, and in nanocrystal assembly.