Targeted synthesis and environmental applications of oxide nanomaterials.
Oxide nanomaterials are indispensable building blocks for a future nanotechnology, because they offer an infinite variety of structural motifs that lead to their widespread technical application. Therefore, flexible and tunable preparative strategies are required to convert this large family of materials onto the nanoscale. Although hydrothermal syntheses have proven especially suitable for this purpose, their reaction pathways and mechanisms often remain unknown so that they can be difficult to control. In the following, we summarize our comprehensive approach towards nanostructured functional oxides that is based on synthetic parameter optimizations, mechanistic in situ investigations and the characterization of environmentally relevant properties, e.g. in photocatalysis or sensor technology. The connection between preparative morphology control and the resulting materials properties is demonstrated for selected tungstate systems and bismuth-containing oxides. Furthermore, different methods for the in situ monitoring of hydrothermal processes are discussed.
University of Zurich, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich.
Ying
Y
Zhou
Greta R
GR
Patzke
D001729:Bismuth / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D010087:Oxides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D010316:Particle Size; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D013499:Surface Properties; D017973:Tungsten Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D014638:Vanadates / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D000099294:Polyoxometalates
D001729:Bismuth; D010087:Oxides; D017973:Tungsten Compounds; D014638:Vanadates; C102296:polyoxometalate I; D000099294:Polyoxometalates; C091754:bismuth vanadium tetraoxide