Patent ID: 7811545

Claim:
A process for making nanoparticles of metals, metal oxides and multi-metallic oxides, which comprises the steps of: i) reacting a metal salt dissolved in water with an alkali metal salt of C 4-25 carboxylic acid dissolved in a first solvent selected from the group consisting of C 5-10 aliphatic hydrocarbon and C 6-10 aromatic hydrocarbon to form a metal carboxylate complex; ii) separating said metal carboxylate complex from an upper organic layer containing said metal carboxylate complex by removing said first solvent; and iii) heating said metal carboxylate complex dissolved in a second solvent selected from the group consisting of C 6-25 aromatic, C 6-25 ether, C 6-25 aliphatic hydrocarbon and C 6-25 amine at a rate of 1° C./min to 200° C./min from room temperature to the boiling temperature of said second solvent to cause an abrupt thermal decomposition of said metal carboxylate complex and instantaneous nucleation of monodisperse nanoparticles, to produce the monodisperse nanoparticles.