Heteroleptic metal alkoxide "oxoclusters" as molecular models for the sol-gel synthesis of perovskite nanoparticles for bio-imaging applications.

Systematic structural study of the molecules, resulting from microhydrolysis of heterometallic beta-diketonate alkoxides of barium and strontium (single-source precursors of perovskite oxide materials), demonstrates that the structures of these products result from a thermodynamically driven self-assembly of metal cations and ligands directed towards the most densely packed cores. The ratio between metal cations, and of the cations to bidentate heteroligands, is easily changed to enable the highest packing density. The key to the application of single-source precursors appears to be the use of stoichiometric or superstoichiometric water amounts together with solvents preventing diffusion of possible homometallic intermediates. Eu-doped BaTiO3 nanoparticles have been successfully obtained and characterized.