Morphological control in inorganic nanostructured material

Abstract

Control of the particle morphology and particle outer diameter (from nano and submicron sizes) has increasingly captured the attention of researchers for decades. The exploration of unique sizes and shapes as they relate to various properties has become a great quest for large field applications. To meet these demands, this study covered our recent developments in an aerosol-assisted self-assembly technique (a spray method) for particle processing. The particle processing of several morphologies (sphere, doughnut, encapsulated, porous, hollow, raspberry, and hairy shapes) was discussed in terms of the selection of material types, the addition of supporting materials, and the change of process conditions. Controllable particle outer diameter was discussed in terms of the adjustment of the droplet size and concentration, and the addition of specific techniques. A theoretical mechanism was also simplified described, especially to describe how particles are designed with various sizes and morphologies. The performance of various particle morphologies was also demonstrated, which was essential for an understanding of the importance that shape could exert on practical use. Because the method outlined here can be broadly applied to the production of various types of functional materials, we believe that this report contributes new information to the field of chemical, material, environmental, and medical engineering.