Organometallics meet colloid chemistry: a case study in three phases based on molecular carbonyl precursors containing zinc and manganese.

Two organometallic compounds containing zinc and manganese in different ratios are used as single-source precursors for the preparation of various new, bimetallic oxide materials with nanoscaled dimensions. It is shown that the materials synthesis can be performed in the solid-state, the liquid-phase, and even in the gas-phase. The molecular composition of the precursors determines the composition of the resulting materials. In addition, two novel methods for the preparation of highly crystalline metal oxide colloids are presented: The coupling between a gas-phase process and a colloidal approach, and the application of ozone as an oxidant for the transformation of metal carbonyls into oxides in the liquid phase.