Formation of BaSO4 nanoribbons from a molecular mangle

Abstract

The authors are aware of an ever-larger number of ways of nanoengineering an increasing array of materials. Hence inorganic ribbons of nanodimensions can now be produced from vapours by high-energy methods (e.g. CdS, SnO₂, and ZnSe) or from solutions by low energy methods (e.g. CuO, Ni(OH)₂, ZnS, VO_x·nH₂O or CaV₆O₁₆·3H₂O). Here we describe a molecular mangle that delivers continuous ribbons of selected crystals with nm thickness. Initially, this has been evaluated for BaSO₄. The approach is shown to be successful at preparing metastable nanoribbons of barite. The opportunities that this provides for crystal engineering more generally are discussed.