Quasi-one-dimensional metal oxide materials - Synthesis, properties and applications

Recent advances in the field of nanotechnology have led to the synthesis and characterization of an assortment of quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) structures, such as nanowires, nanoneedles, nanobelts and nanotubes. These fascinating materials exhibit novel physical properties owing to their unique geometry with high aspect ratio. They are the potential building blocks for a wide range of nanoscale electronics, optoelectronics, magnetoelectronics, and sensing devices. Many techniques have been developed to grow these nanostructures with various compositions. Parallel to the success with group IV and groups III-V compounds semiconductor nanostructures, semiconducting metal oxide materials with typically wide band gaps are attracting increasing attention. This article provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art research activities that focus on the Q1D metal oxide systems and their physical property characterizations. It begins with the synthetic mechanisms and methods that have been exploited to form these structures. A range of remarkable characteristics are then presented, organized into sections covering a number of metal oxides, such as ZnO, In2O3, SnO2, Ga2O3, and TiO2, etc., describing their electrical, optical, magnetic, mechanical and chemical sensing properties. These studies constitute the basis for developing versatile applications based on metal oxide Q1D systems, and the current progress in device development will be highlighted. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.