Chapter 3 Aerosol methodologies for synthesis of materials

This chapter summarizes the representative aerosol methodologies for the synthesis of a variety of functional materials. The aerosol methodologies can be generally classified into three major categories: gas-to-solid conversion, liquid-to-solid conversion, and aerosol-assisted self-assembly. This chapter first describes the classical aerosol routes, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and spray pyrolysis, by introducing the basic techniques and fundamental principles. The major focus is on the recently developed aerosol routes, such as aerosol CVD, salt-assisted spray pyrolysis, low-pressure spray pyrolysis, and evaporation-induced self-assembly. Strategies to control the particle size, particle size distribution, morphology, structure, composition, and functionality of the materials in those aerosol routes are discussed. Representative materials synthesized via the aerosol routes, such as particles, nanotubes, thin films, and hierarchical nanostructures, are introduced. Further, this chapter also reviews the recent progress on the aerosol processing of emerging materials, that is, crumpled graphene oxide nanoballs and metal-organic framework-based materials. The applications of the aerosol-processed materials in the sectors of energy, the environment, and human health are also briefly discussed.