Nanocrystalline Metals And Oxides

Nanostructured materials have at least one dimension in the nanometer range. They became a very active research area in solid state physics and chemistry in recent years with anticipated applications in various domains, including solar cells, electronics, batteries and sensors. Nanocrystalline metals and oxides are dense polycrystalline solids with a mean grain size below 100 nm. This book is intended to give an overview on selected properties and applications of nanocrystalline metals and oxides by leading experts in the field. The first three chapters provide a very complete theoretical treatment of thermodynamics and atom/ion transport for nanocrystalline materials. The following chapters are experts' views on the development of experimental characterization techniques for nanocrystalline solids with emphasis on electroceramic materials. Nanocrystalline Metals and Oxides is intended for a broad range of readers, foremost chemists, physicists and materials scientists. Theoretical physicists and chemists will certainly also profit from this book. The electroceramics and solid state ionics community are particularly addressed, given the main interests of the editors.

This book guides beginners in the areas of thin film preparation, characterization, and device making, while providing insight into these areas for experts. As chemically deposited metal oxides are currently gaining attention in development of devices such as solar cells, supercapacitors, batteries, sensors, etc., the book illustrates how the chemical deposition route is emerging as a relatively inexpensive, simple, and convenient solution for large area deposition. The advancement in the nanostructured materials for the development of devices is fully discussed.

Nano-oxide materials lend themselves to applications in a wide variety of emerging technological fields such as microelectronics, catalysts, ceramics, coatings, and energy storage. However, developing new routes for making nano-based materials is a challenging area for solid-state materials chemists. This book does just that by describing a novel method for preparing them. The authors have developed a novel low-temperature, self-propagating synthetic route to nano-oxides by the solution combustion and combustible precursor processes. This method provides the desired composition, structure, and properties for many types of technologically useful nanocrystalline oxide materials like alumina, ceria, iron oxides, titania, yttria, and zirconia, among others.The book is particularly instructive in bringing readers one step closer to the exploration of nanomaterials. Students of nanoscience can acquaint themselves with the actual production and evaluation of nanopowders by this route, while academic researchers and industrial scientists will find answers to a host of questions on nano-oxides. The book also provides an impetus for scientists in industrial research to evaluate and explore new ways to scale up the production of nanomaterials, offering helpful suggestions for further research.

Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Organic Solvents discusses recent advances in the chemistry involved for the controlled synthesis and assembly of metal oxide nanoparticles, the characterizations required by such nanoobjects, and their size and shape depending properties. In the last few years, a valuable alternative to the well-known aqueous sol-gel processes was developed in the form of nonaqueous solution routes. Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Organic Solvents reviews and compares surfactant- and solvent-controlled routes, as well as providing an overview of techniques for the characterization of metal oxide nanoparticles, crystallization pathways, the physical properties of metal oxide nanoparticles, their applications in diverse fields of technology, and their assembly into larger nano- and mesostructures. Researchers and postgraduates in the fields of nanomaterials and sol-gel chemistry will appreciate this book’s informative approach to chemical formation mechanisms in relation to metal oxides.

Current oxide nanomaterials knowledge to draw from and build on Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Oxide Nanomaterials summarizes the existing knowledge in oxide-based materials research. It gives researchers one comprehensive resource that consolidates general theoretical knowledge alongside practical applications. Organized by topic for easy access, this reference: * Covers the fundamental science, synthesis, characterization, physicochemical properties, and applications of oxide nanomaterials * Explains the fundamental aspects (quantum-mechanical and thermodynamic) that determine the behavior and growth mode of nanostructured oxides * Examines synthetic procedures using top-down and bottom-up fabrication technologies involving liquid-solid or gas-solid transformations * Discusses the sophisticated experimental techniques and state-of-the-art theory used to characterize the structural and electronic properties of nanostructured oxides * Describes applications such as sorbents, sensors, ceramic materials, electrochemical and photochemical devices, and catalysts for reducing environmental pollution, transforming hydrocarbons, and producing hydrogen With its combination of theory and real-world applications plus extensive bibliographic references, Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Oxide Nanomaterials consolidates a wealth of current, complex information in one volume for practicing chemists, physicists, and materials scientists, and for engineers and researchers in government, industry, and academia. It's also an outstanding reference for graduate students in chemistry, chemical engineering, physics, and materials science.

Nanostructured Materials: Selected Synthesis Methods, Properties and Applications presents several important recent advances in synthesis methods for nanostructured materials and processing of nano-objects into macroscopic samples, such as nanocrystalline ceramics. This book will not cover the whole spectrum of possible synthesis techniques, which would be limitless, but it presents especially interesting highlights in the domains of research of the editors. Subjects that are covered include the following: *"chimie douce" approaches for preparation of a large variety of nanostructured materials, including metals, alloys, semiconductors and oxides; *hydrothermal synthesis with water as solvent and reaction medium can be specifically adapted to nanostructured materials; *"electrospraying" as a powerful new route for the preparation of nanoparticles, especially of oxides for electroceramics; *nanoparticles processed into nanostructured ceramics, by using dynamic compaction techniques; *applications of nanostructured materials. This book complements the previous volume in this series (P. Knauth, J. Schoonman, eds., Nanocrystalline Metals and Oxides: Selected Properties and Applications, Kluwer, Boston, 2002).

Nanocrystalline materials with new functionalities show great promise for use in industrial applications - such as reinforcing fillers in novel polymer composites – and substantial progress has been made in the past decade in their synthesis and processing. However, there are several issues that need to be addressed to develop these materials further. Among these, exploration of novel methods for the large-scale synthesis of low cost self-assembled nanostructures is a challenging research topic. Accordingly, there has emerged a demand to study their synthesis-structure-property relationships in order to understand the fundamental concepts underlying the observed physical and mechanical properties. With contributions from leading experts, this book describes the fundamental theories and concepts that illustrate the complexity of the problem in developing novel nanocrystalline materials. It reviews the most up-to-date progress in the synthesis, microstructural characterization, physical and mechanical behavior, and application of nanomaterials. * Investigates the synthesis, characterisation and properties of a huge variety of nanocrystalline materials, and their applications in industry * Keeps the prominent challenges in nanomaterials fabrication at the forefront while offering the most up-to-date scientific findings