Application of Chemical Principles in the Solution Synthesis and Processing of Ceramic and Metal Particles

There is an increasing appreciation for the role that solution synthesis plays in the preparation of metal and ceramic powders and films. The objective of this manuscript is to review a general approach based upon rigorous chemical principles that may be employed to produce a powder or film of a desired phase, size distribution, and particle morphology. The approach is based on the development of a fundamental understanding of the phase stability and solution chemistry of the material system, via the calculation of phase stability and speciation diagrams. The colloidal principles involved in the production of a well-dispersed powder within a particular synthesis scheme are also reviewed. Finally, the principles which control the morphology of the synthesized particles are presented. Each of these steps which comprise the general approach for tailoring the desired chemical and physical characteristics will be discussed with respect to exemplary material systems including calcium oxalate monohydrate, zirconia, and α-alumina.