Nanoparticles by chemical synthesis, processing to materials and innovative applications

Abstract

Nanoparticles have been fabricated by using chemical synthesis routes under specific conditions. During a precipitation process from liquid phases, surface controlling agents (SCAs) have been added during or shortly after the formation of precipitates. These interfere with the nucleating and growing particle to avoid agglomeration and to control size. Nanoparticles from many systems have been fabricated. If the SCAs are bifunctional, the surfaces chemistry could be tailored and the zeta potential of these particles was tailored also. SiO2 particles have been used for gene targeting using this approach. In other investigations, FeOx nanoparticles have been surface modified by amino groupings together with a sonochemical route to obtain very stable coatings. These particles have been used for in vitro tumor cell penetration and hyperthermal treatment. Boehmite nanoparticles were used to serve as condensation catalysts to prepare very hard transparent coatings for polycarbonate and an overcoat with polymerizable nanoparticles was used to produce anti-reflective and ultrahard coatings. In systems with incorporated fluoro silanes, leading to low surface free energy coatings, nanoparticles were used to tailor the fluorine depth profile in self-aligning transparent easy-to-clean coatings by influencing the critical micelle concentration. The examples show the usefulness of the chemical nanoparticle approach for nanocomposite fabrication and the high potential of these materials for medical and industrial application. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.