US Patent 7754173 - Rare earth oxide nanoplates

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7754173.html

This patent from the University of Florida Research Foundation teaches a new type of nanomaterial based on Gd2O3 nanocrystals having a thickness approaching the lower limit of crystal growth. Claim 1 reads:

1. A composition of matter, comprising

a plurality of rare earth oxide nanocrystals,

wherein each of said rare earth oxide nanocrystals is in the form of a nanoplate, and

wherein said plurality of rare earth oxide nanocrystals has a size distribution within a standard deviation of less than 10%.