A comprehensive study of synthesis and applications of core/shell nanoparticles

Abstract

When we consider matter at nanoscale, one of the most important aspects to be considered is that due to the small size of the particles, these have increased surface area to volume ratio. The large value of this ratio increases the dominance of the surface atoms of the nanoparticles in relation to those in its interior. A special category of materials at nanoscale level has gained popularity in the recent times due to their interesting properties and applications. When classified on the basis of structure, the types of core/shell particles can have a large variety. Each of this structural classification has its own importance, method of synthesis and application. The core/shell  nanoparticles have some distinct features that is responsible for their importance. The properties of Core/shell nanoparticles are highly modified from that of their simple pure nanomaterials, thus they usually called highly functional materials. The introduction of a different crust layer over the core particle has many reasons, such as it helps in implementing surface modification, increases functionality, stability and dispersibility, control on the release of the core, lowering the consumption of precious materials, and so on. These nanostructures can have a number of combinations in close interaction, depending upon the selection of material used, which highly influences the end application. This paper has an overview of the present methods involved in synthesis and tunable factors responsible for their end  applications. The development of metal/metal oxide core-shell nanoparticles has become popular nowadays due to their widespread use in catalysis and other environmental remedial applications.