The electrophoretic deposition of inorganic nanoscaled materials

Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is gaining increasing interest as a processing technique for production of novel inorganic nanostructured and nanoscale materials, including the use of nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanorods and related nanomaterials. Recent advances in the electrophoretic deposition of a great variety of ceramic and metallic nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and other inorganic nanoscaled materials are discussed in this review. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate the utility of an applied electric field to manipulate and control the deposition of electrically charged nanoscaled particles and other nanostructures on solid surfaces from liquid suspensions. A wide range of applications has been reviewed, demonstrating the high versatility and suitability of the EPD technique as a convenient nanotechnology processing tool. Nano-enamels and structural coatings, electrodes and films for fuel cells, capacitors, sensors and other microelectronic devices, fibre-reinforced and graded ceramic composites, nanostructured films and coatings for electronic, biomedical, optical, catalytic and electrochemical applications are some of the examples discussed. The combination of sol-gel methods and EPD for production of a variety of nanomaterials is also reviewed.