Microwave-assisted Synthesis of Nanostructured Oxide Catalysts

Abstract

Nanostructured metal oxides represent one of the most important and well-recognized classes of materials owing to their unique size-tunable properties (e.g., optical, electronic, magnetic, catalytic, and mechanical), which make these materials potentially suitable for technological applications in the fabrication of devices for energy harvesting and storage, photonics, sensors as well as medical and biological applications. In the last two decades, the use of microwave irradiation, either alone or in conjunction with other synthesis techniques, has grown in popularity among scientists and researchers for the production of nanostructured oxides. In this chapter, we especially provide a detailed insight into microwave-assisted synthesis of different nanostructured materials including pure metal oxides, mixed metal oxides, spinels, perovskites, and composite oxides because these materials have attracted significant research interest.