Dry autoclaving for the nanofabrication of sulfides, selenides, borides, phosphides, nitrides, carbides, and oxides.

This review compiles various nanostructures fabricated by a distinct "dry autoclaving" approach, where the chemical reactions are carried out without solvents; above the dissociation temperature of the chemical precursor(s) at elevated temperature in a closed reactor. The diversity to fabricate carbides (SiC, Mo(2) C, WC), oxides (VOx-C, ZnO, Eu(2) O(3) , Fe(3) O(4) , MoO(2) ), hexaborides (LaB(6) , CeB(6) , NdB(6) , SmB(6) , EuB(6) , GdB(6) ), nitrides (TiN, NbN, TaN), phosphides (PtP(2) , WP), sulfides (ZnS, FeS/C, SnS/C, WS(2) , WS(2) /C), and selenides (Zn(1-x) Mn(x) Se/C, Cd(1-x) Mn(x) Se/C), with various shapes and sizes is accounted with plausible applications. This unique single-step, solvent-free synthetic process opens up a new route in the growing nanomaterials science; owing to its considerable advantages on the existing approaches.