Nanostructured materials based on metal oxides - structure and thermal stability

Title: Nanostructured materials based on metal oxides - structure and thermal stability Author: Tereza Václavů Department: Department of Condensed Matter Physics Supervisor: prof. RNDr. Radomír Kužel, CSc. Abstract: The structure and temperature stability of two nanocrystalline ma- terials were studied. First, titanate nanotubes prepared by hydrothermal synthesis were studied from room temperature up to 1000 ◦ C in air and helium atmospheres and in vacuum with the aid of in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and calorimetry combined with electron microscopy. The nanotubes exhibit different behavior and structure transformations during heating in different atmospheres. A difference between vacuum and He atmosphere was observed; also a different final product was observed after annealing: In air, the nanorods disintegrated to nanoparticles, whereas in vacuum nanowires formed. The second material studied was a nanocrystalline particle system with an iron core protected against oxidation by an oxide layer. The structure of these nanoparticles was determined by XRD and Mossbauer spectroscopy. The tem- perature stability and induced transformations of these samples were studied by in situ XRD and X-ray small-angle scattering (SAXS). The long-time stability of the structure of these nanoparticles was studied as well;..