Nanomaterials

"Nanotechnology is an idea that most people simply didn't believe."

Ralph Merkle

"Nanotechnology is manufacturing with atoms."

William Powell

"Nature has a great simplicity and therefore a great beauty."

Richard Feynman

What are nanomaterials?

By definition, nanomaterials describe materials with a single unit sized in at least one dimension (between 1 and 100 nm). The research on nanomaterials is based on a materials science approach and directed towards nanotechnology. Materials with structure at the nanoscale (i.e. nanomaterials) possess unique optical, electronic, or mechanical properties and they are starting to be commercialized and to emerge as commodities.


Our group primarily focuses on three different types of nanomaterials: (i) nanotubes, (ii) nanopowders, and (iii) thin layers. We intensively investigate innovative materials, but we also regularly update the current overview on the materials we use for our scientific research. Brief history along with the pioneering efforts, breakthroughs, and perspectives of nanomaterials are presented in this section.

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What about the characterization of nanomaterials?

For the characterization of the nanomaterials prepared in our research group, different methods are employed. The morphology of the nanomaterials are investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystalline phase composition is analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) while the elemental composition is studied by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis, and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS). Also, the optical properties are monitored by UV-visible diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and UV photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) to assess the energy bandgap of our nanomaterials as well as the energy position of valence and conductions bands. Since we use our nanomaterials for degradation of aqueous pollutants and production of hydrogen, further analyses are required: