Over the past few years, our group has developed a vapor
diffusion sol−gel (VDSG) method that affords phase-pure
metal oxide nanocrystals under ultrabenign conditions (low
temperature, ambient pressure, and near neutral pH).4 The
VDSG method relies on the interfacial hydrolysis and
condensation of alkoxide precursors upon diffusion of water
vapor into the alkoxide solution. Previously, this method has
been exclusively applied to the synthesis of perovskite oxide
nanocrystals of formula A1−xA′xB1−yB′yO3 (A = Ba, Sr and B =
Ti, Zr; 0 ≤ x ≤ 1, 0 ≤ y ≤ 1).4a,b Herein, we report the
extension of the VDSG method to the low-temperature
synthesis of sub-30 nm scheelite-structured AMoO4 nanocrystals.
Chemical, structural, and morphological characterization
and preliminary results on the potential utility of these
nanocrystals as a Li-ion battery electrode material are provided.