Fredagskollokvium: Erwan Rauwel: Metal and Metal Oxide Nanoparticles Synthesis - A brief overview

Nanoparticles have many applications and are already integrated in many products present in the market (sun screens, tennis rackets, car exhausts, antibacterial coatings for appliances...). The nanofabrication involves nanoparticle synthesis and there exist several methods for growing nanoparticles (oxides and metals). These are fabrication methods using mechanical systems (attrition or pyrolysis), a plasma or more particularly sol-gel chemistry. Sol-gel chemistry involving wet- chemical techniques, and more recently non-aqueous methods of synthesis, were developed. A nanoparticle usually indicates object with a diameter ranging from 100 to 1 nanometre. These nanoparticles originating from human activities have existed for millennia and can be produced simply by sanding or by being present in welding fume. In fact, the recent development of industry and combustion-based engine has increased the particulate pollution. In this lecture, nanoparticle synthesis and the imperatives of this kind of research will be discussed. The toxicity of these nano-objects will also be discussed. A more recent method of nanoparticle synthesis will be more particularly described and discussed in detail. How this kind of fundamental research can interact with industrial and medical applications is pertinent in the present context.