Nanostructured metal oxides by wet chemical synthesis with applications for energy and health

Abstract

Metal oxides are characterized by dielectric, ferroelectric, multiferroic, magnetic, conducting, semiconducting, optical etc. properties. Thus, many applications such as oxide electronics, energy generation and storage, health care etc have adopted metal oxide materials as device components. Nanosized oxides either can have improved functionality or totally new, interesting properties. Wet chemical synthesis routes have as advantages: low cost, short synthesis times and compositional flexibility. Here, recent results are reviewed concerning metal oxide nanoparticles and thin films from sol-gel, hydro/solvothermal, precipitation and thermal decomposition syntheses. To understand the precursor and its reaction into the oxide, both dictating the final properties, we applied XRD, SEM, AFM, FTIR, Raman, UV/Vis and NMR spectroscopy, high resolution TEM, as well as electrochemical and physical characterization. This will be exemplified by studies of (doped) mono-metal oxides (e.g. ZnO, TiO2) and multi-metal oxides (high-k oxides, multiferroics, ferroelectrics, electrodes and electrolytes for LIB etc.) with possible applications in solar cells, data storage devices, lithium ion batteries, biomedical imaging etc. These in-depth studies are vital to finetune compositions and process conditions to provide optimal materials for their final applications.