Nanocomposite thin films consisting of a dielectric matrix, such as titanium oxide (TiO 2 ), with embedded gold (Au) nanoparticles were prepared and will be analysed and discussed in detail in the present work. The evolution of morphological and structural features was studied for a wide range of Au concentrations and for annealing treatments in air, for temperatures ranging from 200 to 800 ºC. Major findings revealed that for low Au atomic concentrations (at. %), there are only traces of clustering, and just for relatively high annealing temperatures, T ≥ 500 ºC. Furthermore, the number of Au nanoparticles is extremely low, even for the highest annealing temperature, T = 800 ºC.It is noteworthy that the TiO 2 matrix also crystallizes in the anatase phase for annealing temperatures above 300 ºC.

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Thin films composed of Ag nanoclusters dispersed in TiO 2 : influence of composition and thermal annealing on the microstructure and physical responses, Applied Surface Science (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc. 2015.08.148 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

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