Metal oxide nanostructure and methods of making metal oxide nanostructures are provided. The metal oxide nanostructures can be 1-dimensional nanostructures such as nanowires, nanofibers, or nanotubes. The metal oxide nanostructures can be doped or un-doped metal oxides. The metal oxide nanostructures can be deposited onto a variety of substrates. The deposition can be performed without high pressures and without the need for seed catalysts on the substrate. The deposition can be performed by laser ablation of a target including a metal oxide and, optionally, a dopant. In some embodiments zinc oxide nanostructures are deposited onto a substrate by pulsed laser deposition of a zinc oxide target using an excimer laser emitting UV radiation. The zinc oxide nanostructure can be doped with a rare earth metal such as gadolinium. The metal oxide nanostructures can be used in many devices including light-emitting diodes and solar cells.

The present disclosure describes radiation-assisted, substrate-free, and solution-based nanostructure (e.g., a nanotube and/or a nanowire (NW)) growth processes. The processes use the high absorption coefficient and high density of free charge carriers in particle seeds (e.g., nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles, and/or metal nanocrystals) to photothermally drive semiconductor nanostructure growth. The processes can be performed at atmospheric pressure, without specialized equipment such as specialized heating equipment and/or high-pressure reaction vessels.

A method for preparing an ordered cross-stacked metal oxide nanowire array is provided. The method includes the following steps: conducting synthesis by using an amphiphilic diblock copolymer as a structure directing agent, tetrahydrofuran (THF) as a solvent and polyoxometalates (POMs) as an inorganic precursor, where the diblock copolymer can interact with POMs via an electrostatic force to form a core-shell cylindrical micelle in the solvent, which self-assembles to form an ordered multilayer-crossed organic-inorganic composite nanostructure during an evaporation process; the template is removed by calcination in air, thereby obtaining ordered and crossed metal oxide nanowires with various elements doping. The nanowire array material has a high specific surface area, a high crystallinity, and realizes uniform doping of heteroatoms.

Methods for fabrication of and use of magnesium oxide sorbents for room temperature carbon dioxide adsorption are provided. In accordance with one aspect, a method for fabrication of sorbents is provided which includes using calcination to obtain MgO—Mg(OH).sub.2 nano-composites and aging the MgO—Mg(OH).sub.2 nano-composites to form nano MCHs for room temperature carbon dioxide adsorption. According to another aspect, a method for fabrication of sorbents which includes fabrication of monoclinic magnesium malate tetrahydrate (C.sub.8H.sub.10MgO.sub.10.4H.sub.2O) and use of such sorbents for room temperature carbon dioxide adsorption is provided.

A solution and method of creating such for producing silicon nanowires or silicon nano-plates. The solution comprising distilled water, Potassium Hydroxide (KOH), at least one catalyst, Sodium Methyl Siliconate (CH.sub.5NaO.sub.3Si), Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA), which act as a first chelating agent, Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate (C.sub.5H.sub.10NS.sub.2Na), which acts as a second chelating agent, and Dimethylacrylic Acid, which acts as a buffer that is able to regulate the amount of silicon nanowires or plates formed and to prevent agglomeration. The concentration of the Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate in the solution is greater than concentration of the EDTA in the solution for forming a plurality of thick and short nanowires, and the concentration of the Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate in the solution is less than the concentration of the EDTA in the solution for forming a plurality of thin and long nanowires.

The present disclosure provides functionalized powder particles and methods of forming functionalized powder particles. The functionalization is acquired through the formation of primary and/or secondary structures on a powder particle. Functionalization can be controlled to bring about changes in a broad range of physical and/or chemical properties.

A method for preparing copper-nickel cobaltate nanowires includes steps of: (1) dissolving a soluble nickel salt, cobalt salt and copper salt in ultrapure water, and preparing same into a mixed salt solution A; (2) adding 1-4 mmol of sodium dodecyl sulfate to solution A, and dissolving same with stirring; (3) dissolving 12-30 mmol of hexamethylenetetramine in 20 mL of ultrapure water to form solution B; (4) slowly dropwise adding solution B to solution A via a separatory funnel to form solution C, and stirring same for 0.5-1 h; and (5) further transferring same into a 100 mL reaction vessel, reacting same at 100-160° C. for 8-20 h, suction filtration and washing, and drying same at 40-60° C. in a vacuum oven, and further reacting same at 350-800° C. for 1-4 h in a muffle furnace.

The disclosure provides a method of producing a metal compound. The method comprises contacting a metal source with a reaction mixture, wherein the reaction mixture comprises an ionic liquid and an oxidising agent, and thereby producing the metal compound.

A method for manufacturing a tungsten trioxide/silicon nanocomposite structure includes steps as follows. A silicon substrate is provided, wherein a surface of the silicon substrate is formed with a plurality of microstructures. A tungsten trioxide precursor solution is provided, wherein the tungsten trioxide precursor solution is contacted with the silicon substrate. A hydrothermal synthesis step is conducted, wherein the tungsten trioxide precursor solution is reacted to form a plurality of tungsten trioxide particles on the plurality of microstructures, so as to obtain the tungsten trioxide/silicon nanocomposite structure.

Mesomorphic ceramic films are fabricated over large areas by blade-coating of nematic lyotropic suspensions, followed by calcination. Lyotropic self-assembly of titania or ZnO nanorods by applying blade-coating shear force to a dispersion of the rods, followed by thermal treatment forms transparent ceramic films for applications such as large aperture inorganic waveplates for modifying the polarization state of incident light that have superior optical and mechanical properties