Metal Oxides

Advanced ceramics are the next generation of ceramic materials. According to the 1993 Versailles project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS) an advanced ceramic material is defined as "an inorganic, non-metallic, basically crystalline material of rigorously controlled composition and manufactured with detailed regulation from highly refined and/or characterized raw materials giving precisely specified attributes".

Transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) are metal oxides, such as zinc oxide and tin oxide, that are capable of conducting electricity whilst being optically transparent. This means they absorb a low number of electromagnetic waves within the visible region of the spectrum, appearing see-through.

Metal oxide (MOx) nanoparticles (MONPs) are a class of nanomaterial with interesting and diverse chemical, optical, electrical and magnetic properties. Different metals bond to oxygen forming a variety of crystal structures under specific conditions. The shape and nanostructure of these materials effects their surfaces which in turn impacts the way they interact with light, electricity, magnetic fields and other materials.

Metal oxides are used as photocatalysts due to their ability to accelerate chemical reactions when exposed to light. Examples include zinc oxide (ZnO), iron oxide (Fe2O3), titanium dioxide (TiO2) which possess useful electronic structures, light absorption properties and charge transport characteristics suited to photocatalysis.

Metal oxide semiconductors are comprised of positive metallic ions connected to negative oxygen ions via ionic bonds. Typically in solid form, they are non-stoichiometric compounds, which means their chemical formula cannot be exactly represented by a ratio of small natural numbers.

Metal oxides (mainly II-VI semiconductors) are used as sensors due to their low cost, ease of manufacture, quick response time, wide detection ranges and resistance to harsh conditions. Metal oxide sensors are versatile semiconducting devices that detect gases, chemicals, and biological analytes by converting surface interactions into measurable electrical signals.

A ternary lithium battery is a type of lithium-ion battery (LIB) that has a cathode composed of three different metals. The metals are nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn) or aluminium (Al).

Transition metal oxides (TMOs) are compounds of transition metals bonded to oxygen. A transition metal is an element in the periodic table that has a partially filled d-shell or which forms cation with an incomplete d-shell. TMOs have been extensively researched due to their wide range of chemical and physical properties.

The NCA battery gets its name from the cathode active material, lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (LiNixCoyAlzO2, where x+y+z=1) which gets shortened to nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA). NCA is the cathode active material with a specific ratio of metals.