Facile deposition of nanodimensional ceria particles and their assembly into conformal films at liquid-liquid interface with a phase transfer catalyst.

Crystalline nanodimensional particulates of ceria have been obtained in the form of conformal thin films at the interface of two immiscible liquids. For the first time, interfacial deposition has been accomplished by the use of a simple phase transfer process eliminating the need to synthesize metal precursors. The obtained films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, as well as low and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. We envisage that the study would simplify the delivery of ions to the interface and pave the way for widespread application of this emerging deposition technique.

Deposition of hierarchical Cd(OH)2 anisotropic nanostructures at the water-toluene interface and their use as sacrificial templates for CdO or CdS nanostructures.

Hierarchical anisotropic structures ranging from triangular 'platelets' to nanofibres of Cd(OH)2 are synthesized at a water-toluene interface; the nanowires are used as sacrificial templates to produce CdO wires and CdS nanostructures, preserving many structural aspects.

Methanolysis of tetraphenylborate (BPh4(-)) as a reaction unit in halotris(2,4-pentadianato) complexes of Zr(IV) and Hf(IV).

The complexes {(C5H8O2)2Zr[(OCH3)2B(C6H5)2]2.1/2C12H10} (M = Zr (1) or Hf (2)) have been obtained from the reaction of [M(acac)3Cl] with sodium tetraphenylborate (BPh4(-)) in methanol. Crystal structures show 8-coordinate complexes with two 2,4-pentanedionato groups and two dimethoxydiphenylborate groups each coordinated through methoxy groups to the metal centre.