Vacancy-driven non-cubic local structure and magnetic anisotropy tailoring in FexO-Fe3-δO4 nanocrystals Alexandros Lappas,1,* George Antonaropoulos,1,2 Konstantinos Brintakis,1 Marianna Vasilakaki,3 Kalliopi N. Trohidou,3 Vincenzo Iannotti,4 Giovanni Ausanio,4 Athanasia Kostopoulou,1 Milinda Abeykoon,5 Ian K. Robinson6,7 and Emil S. Bozin6 1Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, Vassilika Vouton, 71110 Heraklion, Greece 2Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, Voutes, 71003 Heraklion, Greece 3Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, 15310 Athens, Greece 4CNR-SPIN and Department of Physics "E. Pancini", University of Naples Federico II, Piazzale V. Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy 5Photon Sciences Division, National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, 11973 NY, USA 6Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, 11973 NY, USA 7 London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College, London WC1E 6BT, UK * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +30 2810 391344 1 Abstract In contrast to bulk materials, nanoscale crystal growth is critically influenced by size- and shape-dependent properties. However, it is challenging to decipher how stoichiometry, in the realm of mixed-valence elements, can act to control physical properties, especially when complex bonding is implicated by short and long-range ordering of structural defects. Here, solution-grown iron-oxide nanocrystals (NCs) of the pilot wüstite system are found to convert into iron-deficient rock-salt and ferro-spinel sub-domains, but attain a surprising tetragonally distorted local structure. Cationic vacancies within chemically uniform NCs are portrayed as the parameter to tweak the underlying properties.