Property Tuning through Fine Size Control and Hierarchical Nanostructuring of Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Supported in Porous Matrices: a Review

Abstract

In the nanoscale, matter presents different properties compared to its bulk counterparts, owing to the considerable increase of the surface/bulk ratio, as well as the occurrence of quantum confinement effects. One method to fine control the growth of nanoparticles, their size and nanostructure is to use metalorganic deposition combined with a porous matrix as host, where pores act as nanoreactors for nanoparticle growth, resulting in chemically integrated systems. In this review, we look at the history and achievements of the chemical method of impregnation-decomposition cycles for the precise size control, property tuning and tailored synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles. We give an overview of the various oxide nanoparticles and nanomaterials developed over the years, and how the method of impregnation-decomposition cycles allowed the synthesis of pure, doped and core-shell oxide nanoparticles, as well as the tuning of their properties through the combined fine control of nanoparticle size, nanostructure, and composition.