A facile synthetic route using autogenerated air bubbles for the spontaneous formation of nanostructures

Various types of inorganic nanostructures including one-dimensional and nanocircle structures are prepared via simple solution mixing reaction. As confirmed by atomic force microscope (AFM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), one-dimensional iron nanostrucutres with 1–10 nm in diameter as well as nanocircle with ca. 10 nm of inner diameter are spontaneously formed upon mixing and shaking of aqueous solution of FeCl3 with ethanol followed by addition of aqueous hydroxylamine solution. Autogenerated nano-, mirco-sized air bubbles during the mixing of aqueous FeCl3 solution and ethanol are believed to play a critical role for the formation of nanostructures.