Air- and Water-Stable Gold-Coated Gadolinium Metal Nanocrystals

Gold-coated gadolinium nanocrystals, with an average diameter of 3.20 +/- 0.35 nm, have been synthesized at ambient temperature by alkalide reduction. Whereas uncoated gadolinium nanoparticles react violently with air and water, the gold coated gadolinium nanocrystals reported here show no reaction even upon long-term exposure. This is the first example of air- and water stable lanthanide metal nanocrystals, which may allow for the development of magnetic and biomedical applications of gadolinium and other lanthanide metal and alloy nanocrystals.