Nucleation of quartz can take years under ambient conditions, and the harsh conditions needed to achieve faster nucleation on a useful timescale preclude formation of nanocrystalline phases. Here quartz nanoparticles are nucleated from microemulsions; subsequent refinement under mild hydrothermal conditions yields nanocrystalline quartz within days.
- Phil Buckley
- Natasha Hargreaves
- Sharon Cooper
