Room temperature synthesis of BaCrO4 nanoplates through a NaCl-assisted aqueous solution method

BaCrO4 nanoplates have been successfully synthesized by a NaCl-assisted aqueous solution method at room temperature without using any surfactants or templates. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses show that large-scale, single-crystalline BaCrO4 nanoplates with 300 nm in size and thickness of about 40 nm are obtained by this simple method. It suggests that NaCl is crucial to the formation of BaCrO4 nanoplates, which might provide a favorable chemical environment for the growth of nanoplates. This simple method might be useful for the synthesis of nanostructures of other chromates.