Atomic layer deposition of nanostructured materials for energy and environmental applications

(Nanowerk News) Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a thin film technology that in the past two decades rapidly developed from a niche technology to an established method. It proved to be a key technology for the surface modification and the fabrication of complex nanostructured materials.
In a Progress Report published in the January 26, 2012 online edition of Advanced Materials ("Atomic Layer Deposition of Nanostructured Materials for Energy and Environmental Applications"), after a short introduction to ALD and its chemistry, the versatility of the technique for the fabrication of novel functional materials will be discussed.
Selected examples, focused on its use for the engineering of nanostructures targeting applications in energy conversion and storage, and on environmental issues, will be discussed.
Finally, the challenges that ALD is now facing in terms of materials fabrication and processing will be also tackled.
The authors conlcude that, all in all,

1) the versatility of the technique,

2) the large variety of structures and materials accessible,

3) the advances ALD permitted to achieve in various timely fields of research and

4) the potentiality for further development and improvement

make ALD appealing to researchers coming from apparently unrelated scientifi c areas, ranging from inorganic chemistry to surface science or from engineering to theoretical chemistry.
Source: Wiley