Engineered Nanoparticles Generation, Characterization and Applications

Abstract: It is predicted that novel nanometer-sized structures incorporating nanoparticles will have a considerable impact on our lives during the coming decades. Engineered nanoparticles are already found in a number of commercially available products. However, many applications of these nanoparticles have only reached the stage of promising ideas or research demonstrations. The number of nanoparticle-based products on the market is therefore expected to increase considerably during the coming decades. For engineered nanoparticles to be useful in different commercial applications, it is important that their generation can be controlled. This means a stable generation process resulting in reproducible, high-quality nanoparticles with properties tailored for specific applications. In order to develop such production methods, thorough characterization of the particles generated is essential. In addition, since the impact of nanoparticles on human health and the environment has not been fully explored, the entire lifecycle of engineered nanoparticles must be thoroughly investigated. Engineered nanoparticles should not cause any harm to human health or the environment, during manufacturing or use of the product, or during disposal of the product after use. This thesis describes the manufacture of engineered nanoparticles, mainly by inert gas evaporation using a spark discharge generator and an evaporation/condensation furnace. Considerable effort has been put into investigating how different generation parameters affect particle production, so that the particle properties can be controlled and tailored to meet specific applications. To achieve this, the as-generated nanoparticles have been systematically characterized by various methods; transmission electron microscopy being the key characterization tool. The nanoparticles generated were then used in three different areas of application: as seed particles for so-called nanowires which may be useful in future devices, as model catalyst systems to provide deeper knowledge about the atomic-scale mechanisms involved in catalysis, and finally for research in the area of nano safety to learn how nanoparticles should be handled in a safe and sustainable manner.