ABSTRACT
Nanoparticles are essential building blocks in the fabrication of nanostructured materials. Much of the progress in creating novel nanoassemblies or nanocomposites depends on the progress in producing inorganic nanoparticles, including atomic clusters, nanotubes, and nanowires. Particle production processes are needed that are exible with respect to size, structure, and composition to enable tailoring of the product properties in view of the application. Systems in which the particles retain their special size-determined properties are of special interest. is may, for example, be achieved by coating, so that the distances and therewith the interactions between the particle cores are controlled. Major long-term research goals in this area are to develop ways of designing and producing new nanoscale materials of chosen properties in application domains including electronic, semiconductor, and optical properties as well as selective catalytic behavior, unusual strength and lightweight, resistance to corrosion, and fast kinetics in hydrogen and lithium storage.
