Surface modification of metal oxides by polar molecules in a non-polar, polarizable solvent system

Oxide and metal oxide (MO) nanoparticles are widely used in various applications. A simple yet general approach for modifying MO surfaces using polar compounds in a non-polar but polarizable solvent is presented. Molecular adsorption onto the MO surface is based on dipole-dipole interactions while solvation relies on induced-dipole-dipole interactions.