Preparation of Monodisperse GeO2 Nanocubes in a Reverse Micelle System

We report here a synthesis method for single-crystal monodisperse GeO2 nanocubes in a reverse micelle system. Hydrolysis of germanium tetrachloride (GeCl4) in a micelle system produces GeO2 nanocubes in the presence of oleylamine and cetyltrimethylammonium (CTAB). The average edge length of the cubes varies from 50 to 520 nm depending on the concentration of CTAB in the solution. The perfection and monodispersity of the nanocubes are greatly improved by decreasing the pH value of the water solution. Different morphologies such as capsules can be prepared by using octane as the oil phase. The BFDH and Hartman-Perdok methods were used to predict the morphology evolution during the growth of GeO2 nanocubes.