Laser Synthesis and Spectroscopy of Molybdenum Oxide Nanorods

Abstract

Molybdenum oxide nanorods have been synthesized using laser vaporization, oxidation reactions, and ligand coating in a gas flow reactor, followed by capture in a cryogenic trap and transfer to solution. This method produces small ligand-coated (acetonitrile) nanorods, 100 × 20 nm in size, with excellent size uniformity that are soluble in several common solvents. The electronic and optical properties are consistent with those of other known α-MoO3 materials. Raman spectroscopy indicates these rods are semiamorphous as produced but can be annealed to form crystalline MoO3. The as-produced material is highly reactive as a catalyst (degradation of methylene blue) but becomes less active following annealing. The laser synthesis method produces smaller, more reactive molybdenum oxide nanorods than other methods.