Progress in Nanomaterials Preparation

Dear Colleagues,

The targeted synthesis of functional nanomaterials is an essential and challenging task for the development of a future nanotechnology. Especially for complex and tailored materials, the simultaneous control of particle size/morphology, structure and composition requires highly tunable synthetic routes, because these features are often decisive for the construction of new nanoscale devices. Developing new preparative ways towards nanomaterials thus requires a creative interaction between synthetic chemists and specialists from neighbouring disciplines.

With this Special Issue of “Materials”, we present a survey of recent developments in this field. The interdisciplinary potential of designing nanomaterials for new applications is tremendous and with our selection of articles, we demonstrate how nanomaterials synthesis is currently revolutionizing the well-known laboratory practices in chemistry. While heading for new types of synergistic materials and composites, scientists in the field keep crossing the borders between the “classical” disciplines of chemistry.

Although the role of nanomaterials preparation as a “melting pot” for a multitude of synthetic techniques has led to remarkable innovations and breakthroughs, we do not want to conceal the fact that many of these processes still remain to be fully understood from the mechanistic point of view. However, the liveliness and creativity of nanoscientists has brought forward sophisticated approaches over the past years to grasp and to control the complexity of synthetic processes with various in-situ and ex-situ techniques.

We hope that this Special Issue is an enjoyable reading and an inspiration for many scientists to dive into the fascinating world of nanomaterials and to contribute their special skills and views to this world-wide community.

Prof. Dr. Greta R. Patzke
Guest Editor