CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN 2008 VOL. 8, NO. 5 1443–1447
Communications Controllable Synthesis of Single-Crystalline Fe3O4 Polyhedra Possessing the Active Basal Facets B. Y. Geng,* J. Z. Ma, and J. H. You College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Key Laboratory of Functional Molecular Solids, Anhui Normal UniVersity, Wuhu 241000, P. R. China ReceiVed September 24, 2007; ReVised Manuscript ReceiVed January 13, 2008
ABSTRACT: In the present paper, we report on the controllable preparation of single-crystalline Fe3O4 microrhombic dodecahedra possessing the active basal facets in high yield through a facile hydrothermal route. The growth mechanism of the microcrystals is discussed. From a crystallographic point of view, the shapes of the crystals are determined by the ratio of the growth rate along to directions. The pH values of the precursor solution strongly affected the morphologies of the products. When pH value was adjusted to 8–10, welldefined Fe3O4 truncated microrhombic dodecahedra exposing the active basal surfaces ({110}) with narrow size-distribution (
