Nanocomposites, a high performance material exhibit unusual property combinations and unique design possibilities. With an estimated annual growth rate of about 25% and fastest demand to be in engineering plastics and elastomers, their potential is so striking that they are useful in several areas ranging from packaging to biomedical applications. In this unified overview the three types of matrix nanocomposites are presented underlining the need for these materials, their processing methods and some recent results on structure, properties and potential applications, perspectives including need for such materials in future space mission and other interesting applications together with market and safety aspects. Possible uses of natural materials such as clay based minerals, chrysotile and lignocellulosic fibers are highlighted. Being environmentally friendly, applications of nanocomposites offer new technology and business opportunities for several sectors of the aerospace, automotive, electronics and biotechnology industries.

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Nanocomposites: synthesis, structure, properties and new application opportunities

Aliphatic cyclic carbonates and spiroorthocarbonates as monomers

Structural and functional evolution of metallacrowns.

We have investigated the structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of nonstoichiometric iron oxide nanocrystals prepared by decomposition of iron(II) and iron(0) precursors in the presence of organic solvents and capping groups. The highly uniform, crystalline, and monodisperse nanocrystals that were produced enabled a full structural and compositional survey by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The complex and metastable behavior of nonstoichiometric iron oxide (wustite) at the nanoscale was studied by a combination of Mossbauer spectroscopy and magnetic characterization. Deposition from hydrocarbon solvents with subsequent self-assembly of iron oxide nanocrystals into superlattices allowed the preparation of continuous thin films suitable for electronic transport measurements.

Magnetic, electronic, and structural characterization of nonstoichiometric iron oxides at the nanoscale.

There has been a resurgence of complex oxides of late owing to their ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties. Although these properties had been recognized decades ago, the renewed interest stems from modern deposition techniques that can produce high quality materials and attractive proposed device concepts. In addition to their use on their own, the interest is building on the use of these materials in a stack also. Ferroelectrics are dielectric materials that have spontaneous polarization in certain temperature range and show nonlinear polarization–electric field dependence called a hysteresis loop. The outstanding properties of the ferroelectrics are due to non-centro-symmetric crystal structure resulting from slight distortion of the cubic perovskite structure. The ferroelectric materials are ferroelastic also in that a change in shape results in a change in the electric polarization (thus electric field) developed in the crystal and vice versa. Therefore they can be used to transform acoustic wav...

Processing, Structure, Properties, and Applications of PZT Thin Films

Bimetallic alkoxides of niobium

The paper presents short review of the works performed during the last few years in the field of the alkoxy-derived ferroelectric films. PZT films were prepared using titanium and zirconium alkoxides and Pb(CH3COO)2· 2H2O as precursors. Different way of lead acetate dehydration and the impact of lead excess in the precursor solutions on the properties of the PZT films are discussed. Trimetallic alkoxide systems Bi(OR)3-Ta(OR)5-ROH (R = Me, Et or i Pr) were studied as precursors for preparation of SrBi2Ta2O9 films. Films prepared from these solutions and annealed at the temperature between 700 and 750°C demonstrated the remanent polarization Pr* − P^r = 7–9 μC/cm2. Ba1-xSrxTiO3 films we applied from modified alkoxide solutions. Decomposition of the organic phase in the course of thermal treatment of the films is studied by IR-spectroscopy. The dependence of the dielectric permittivity of the films via the annealing temperature is reported. Preparation of LiNbO3, SrZr0.2Ti0.8O3, Zr0.8Sn0.2TiO4 is briefly discussed.

Sol-Gel Derived Ferroelectric Thin Films: Avenues for Control of Microstructural and Electric Properties

Direct electrochemical synthesis of metal alkoxides

The hexanuclear complex of calcium oxo ethoxide ethanol solvate, [Ca6O2(OEt)8]·14EtOH 1 has been isolated after the prolonged refluxing of an ethanol solution of calcium ethoxide in the presence of the oxygen in air and studied by X-ray diffraction; the metal-oxygen framework is built of two [Ca4O4] cubes sharing a common [Ca2O2] face, which involves both oxo groups.

E. P. Turevskaya

Papers

Bimetallic alkoxides of niobium

Sol-Gel Derived Ferroelectric Thin Films: Avenues for Control of Microstructural and Electric Properties

Direct electrochemical synthesis of metal alkoxides

Synthesis, crystal and molecular structure of calcium oxo ethoxide, [Ca6(µ4-O)2(µ3-OEt)4(OEt)4]·14EtOH

The structure of the crystal solvate of magnesium methoxide with methanol, Mg(OMe)2·3.5MeOH