Nanoparticle dispersions

Abstract

This chapter aims to provide an insight into the physics and chemistry of nanoparticle–liquid systems. The first part of the chapter discusses parameters and effects that influence dispersion stability (Sect. 20.1), including particle size and shape as well as the interactions at the interface between the solid and liquid phases. Section 20.2 summarizes the practical aspects of making a dispersion, collecting and listing hundreds of examples from contemporary literature. Because of the broad spectrum of materials in question, the survey is limited to dispersions of inorganic nanoparticles including metals, their oxides/sulfides, some (compound) semiconductors, as well as nanostructured carbon particles such as fullerenes, nanotubes, and graphene/graphite (Sect. 20.3). Dispersions of polymers of either synthetic or biological origin lie beyond the scope of this work. Since a very large fraction of applications are related to various surface coatings using dispersions as the source of nanoparticles, Sect. 20.4 is devoted to drying phenomena and particle self-ordering.