An in situ Template Route for Fabricating Metal Chalcogenide Hollow Spherical Assemblies Sonochemically

An ultrasound‐assisted in situ template approach has been developed for fabricating a series of nanoscale metal chalcogenides in the form of well‐defined hollow spherical assemblies. These hollow spherical assemblies have well‐controlled dimensions and are composed of uniform nanoparticles. Initially, metal hydroxide particles self‐assemble into spherical templates generated in situ, and subsequent surface crystal growth leads to hollow spherical structures. Ultrasound irradiation plays a critical role both in the formation of the intermediate templates and in the crystal‐growth process. This approach provides a convenient and efficient one‐step pathway to the large‐scale fabrication of hollow spherical nanostructures. It also represents a new demonstration of sonochemical effects on the formation and assembly of crystalline particles on the nanometer scale. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004)