Facile fabrication of SrSO4 nanocrystals with different crystallographic morphologies via a simple surfactant-free aqueous solution route

A facile aqueous solution route has been employed to prepare SrSO4 nanocrystals with different crystallographic morphologies at room temperature without using any surfactants or templates. The SrSO4 products were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The morphology of SrSO4 nanocrystals varies from a needle-like to a plate-like feature with increasing the molar ratio (R) of Sr2+ cations to SO42− anions from R = 1:2 to R = 2:1. The morphological evolution process of SrSO4 nanocrystals is discussed. This simple method is also useful for the synthesis of other nanostructured sulfates.