Superlattices of iron nanocubes synthesized from Fe[N(SiMe3)2]2.

The reaction of the metal-organic precursor Fe[N(SiMe3)2]2 with H2 in the presence of a long-chain acid and a long-chain amine in various proportions produces monodisperse zerovalent iron nanoparticles. These Fe particles display magnetic properties that match those of bulk iron as evidenced by magnetic and Mössbauer measurements. The nanoparticles adopt a cubic shape with edges of 7 nanometers and are incorporated into extended crystalline superlattices containing nanocubes in close proximity and with their crystallographic axes aligned. These superlattices are formed in solution, precipitate in high yield, and may be redissolved and redeposited as two-dimensional arrays.