LOW-COST, MULTIMETALLIC, SINGLE CRYSTAL, OXIDE NANOPARTICLES USING FLAME SPRAY PYROLYSIS FOR PHOTONIC AND CATALYST APPLICATIONS

摘要

Nanopowders offer tremendous potential for science and industry because of their physical size and because of the unique changes in electronic, photonic and surface chemistry properties that arise as their sizes diminish below 100 nm and especially below 20 nm. Many novel properties arise because of changes in the lattice constants and phase stability in very small particles that directly affect refractive index, photonic band gaps, electrical and thermal conductivities, and particle surface energies, etc. Key stumbling blocks to realizing the full potential that nanopowders offer arise from: 1. The absence of general ways of making large quantities, especially of mixed-metal oxides. 2. Difficulties in controlling particle sizes and size distributions. 3. Difficulties in tailoring compositions and surface chemistries at will. 4. Problems with controlling the degree of aggregation and therefore the processability of the 5. as-produced powders.