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Materials
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Revisiting the Fundamentals: Synthesis of Metal Oxides
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Revisiting the Fundamentals: Synthesis of Metal Oxides

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2026) | Viewed by 1030

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Vasile-Adrian Surdu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500036 Brașov, Romania
Interests: nanoparticles; multiferroics; ferroelectrics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is dedicated to re-examining the synthesis techniques of metal oxides, essential in a wide range of applications, including energy storage, catalysis, electronics, and health. With a focus on review-type articles, this collection aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of both traditional and emerging techniques for metal oxide synthesis, offering insights into their mechanisms, scalability, and applications. By revisiting the fundamentals, critical discussions on the limitations, advancements, and potential of various methods are encouraged. 

Dr. Vasile-Adrian Surdu
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • vapor condensation synthesis
  • vapor reaction synthesis
  • aerosol synthesis
  • chemical precipitation and coprecipitation
  • hydrothermal and solvothermal
  • sol–gel
  • pechini process
  • synthesis in microemulsions
  • sonochemical synthesis
  • solution combustion synthesis
  • electrochemical synthesis
  • synthesis in supercritical fluids
  • mechanical milling
  • mechanochemical processing
  • cryochemical processing
  • solid-state synthesis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

9 pages, 3171 KB  
Article
Influence of Zinc Doping on the Morphological, Structural, and Optical Characteristics of Copper Oxide Thin Films Prepared Through Ultrasound Spray Pyrolysis
by Isis Chetzyl Ballardo Rodríguez, Brahim El Filali, Aarón Israel Díaz Cano, Rebeca Jiménez Rodríguez and Juan Antonio Jaramillo Gómez
Materials 2026, 19(8), 1596; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19081596 - 15 Apr 2026
Viewed by 321
Abstract
The study of wide-bandgap nanomaterials has gained considerable attention in recent years, especially in the case of semiconductor oxides that exhibit full or partial optical transparency in fundamental research and technological applications. These include optoelectronic devices, gas sensors and photovoltaic cells, among others. [...] Read more.
The study of wide-bandgap nanomaterials has gained considerable attention in recent years, especially in the case of semiconductor oxides that exhibit full or partial optical transparency in fundamental research and technological applications. These include optoelectronic devices, gas sensors and photovoltaic cells, among others. The activation or adjustment of optical and structural properties, especially the bandgap and the parameters of unit cell lattice, can be achieved by varying the dopant concentration during the synthesis of semiconductor thin films in these applications. In this context, copper oxide has emerged as a valuable material, owing to its thoroughly analyzed structural behavior and its broad potential across multiple technological fields. The present work focuses on the synthesis of zinc-doped copper oxide (ZnxCu1−xO) thin films on silicon and quartz substrates through ultrasonic spray pyrolysis. The effects of varying the zinc doping concentration (0.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 at. %) on the morphological, structural, and optical characteristics of the ZnxCu1−xO films were analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis indicated a gradual increase in nanoparticle size, rising from 221 nm for CuO to approximately 322 nm for the Zn0.2Cu0.8O samples as the zinc content increased. Structural characterization via X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed a monoclinic crystal arrangement belonging to the C2h6 (c2/c) space group. As the percentage of zinc increased, the XRD peaks shifted to lower angles, consequently increasing the volume and crystal lattice parameters of the ZnxCu1−xO structure; this finding was additionally supported by a redshift observed in the Raman analysis. The transmittance spectra of the films showed low transmittance between 40 and 44%. The optical bandgap of the ZnxCu1−xO thin films was estimated from the transmittance data by applying the Tauc plot method. A decrease in the band gap was observed at higher doping concentrations. It can be confirmed that no secondary phases are observed at a doping level of 20.0 at. % of zinc, indicating good solubility of zinc in CuO. The analysis and discussion of these findings are included throughout this work to elucidate the controversies noted in the literature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Revisiting the Fundamentals: Synthesis of Metal Oxides)
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