02/8/2008 -
Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Oxide Nanomaterials (2007)
by José A. Rodríguez and Marcos Fernández-García, editors
ISBN 978-0-471-72405-6. Wiley Publishers, Hoboken, NJ. 2007. Hardcover. 717 pages. $135.00.
With recent technical advances, nanomaterials pervade multiple disciplines, including physics, chemistry, engineering, and biology. The popularity of nanomaterials promotes the publication of many books, such as Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Properties and Applications (Taylor & Francis, 1998) and Nanostructures & Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Properties & Applications (Imperial College Press, 2004) to name a few. Among them, the book Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Oxide Nanomaterials (Wiley, 2007) uniquely focuses on oxide nanomaterials, covering a wide diversity of oxide compounds with many structural geometries. According to the editors, José A. Rodríguez and Marcos Fernández-García, the book aims to introduce “the world of oxide nanomaterials.”
Oxide nanomaterials can exhibit metallic, semiconductor, or insulator characteristics. Due to their reduced size, increased surface areas, or quantum confinement effects, they demonstrate unique physical and chemical properties. Moreover, they can be designed for a broad range of technical applications, which includes fabricating microelectronic circuits, sensors, piezoelectric devices, and fuel cells, as for coatings against corrosion and catalysts. This book provides a comprehensive resource for the existing knowledge in oxide nanomaterials research, for both experimental and theoretical aspects.
This book is a massive collection written by over 40 authors from the United States, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Venezuela, England, Scotland, China, and Japan. With 717 pages, it is well documented with 3016 references, 210 figures (20 of them in color), and 47 tables, all integrated seamlessly throughout the book. It comprises 22 chapters and is divided into five parts: basic concepts, synthesis and preparation of nanostructured oxides, study and characterization of nanostructured oxide, physicochemical properties of oxide nanomaterials, and industrial/technological applications of oxide nanomaterials.
There are two chapters in Part I which address fundamental issues. Chapter 1 authored by Chang Q. Sun reviews the theoretical aspect of quantum mechanical effects of oxide nanomaterials. Chapter 2 by Lionel Vayssieres offers a comprehensive perspective on the interfacial thermodynamics of nanostructured metal-oxide.
Part II is comprised of two chapters as well, presenting detailed investigations on liquid-solid and gas-solid transformations for synthesis of oxide nanoparticles.
In Part III, both Chapter 5 and 6 are coauthored by editors Rodríguez and Fernández-García, describing a list of current experimental technologies to study structural and electronic properties of nanostructured oxides respectively. On the other hand, the remaining chapters address the state-of-the-art of many theoretical methods.
The four chapters of Part IV focus on the physico-chemical properties of oxide nanomaterials. Among them, Chapter 13 by Glenn C. Mather and Arturo Martinez-Arias reviews recent efforts on the transport properties and oxygen-handling, an important issue for many physico-chemical processes.
In Part V, the final part of this book, nine chapters highlight the applications of oxide nanomaterials, such as sorbents, sensors, ceramic materials, photo-devices, and catalysts for reducing environmental pollution, transforming hydrocarbons, and producing H2. Such an extensive attention demonstrates the fascinating potential of oxide nanomaterials in a diverse array of technological applications.
Overall, this book has accumulated both experimental and theoretical efforts on oxide nanomaterials into one volume, to make an indispensable resource for a broad readership, from graduate students interested in nanostructured oxides to senior scientists in government, industry, and academia. With this said the timing for such a topic is excellent and the efforts put forth are greatly appreciated.
For more on Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Oxide Nanomaterials, visit the John Wiley & Sons web site. |
