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Among other applications, magnesium hydroxide is commonly used as a flame-retardant filler in composite materials, as well as a precursor for magnesium oxide refractory ceramic. The microstructure of the powder is of prime importance in both technical applications. The influence of synthesis parameters on the morphological characteristics of magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles precipitated in dilute aqueous medium was studied. Several parameters were envisaged such as chemical nature of the base precipitant, type of counter-ion, temperature and hydrothermal treatment. Special attention was given to the obtaining of platelet-shaped, nanometric and de-agglomerated powders. The powders were characterized in terms of particle size distribution, crystal habits, morphology and ability to be redispersed in water. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen adsorption and laser diffusion analyses were used for this purpose. r

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The never-ending race towards miniaturization of devices induced an intense research in the manufacturing processes of the components of those devices. However, the complexity of the process combined with high equipment costs makes the conventional lithographic techniques unfavorable for many researchers. Through years, nanosphere lithography (NSL) attracted growing interest due to its compatibility with wafer-scale processes as well as its potential to manufacture a wide variety of homogeneous one-, two-, or three-dimensional nanostructures. This method combines the advantages of both top-down and bottom-up approaches and is based on a two-step process: (1) the preparation of a colloidal crystal mask (CCM) made of nanospheres and (2) the deposition of the desired material through the mask. The mask is then removed and the layer keeps the ordered patterning of the mask interstices. Many groups have been working to improve the quality of the CCMs. Throughout this review, we compare the major deposition techniques to manufacture the CCMs (focusing on 2D polystyrene nanospheres lattices), with respect to their advantages and drawbacks. In traditional NSL, the pattern is usually limited to triangular structures. However, new strategies have been developed to build up more complex architectures and will also be discussed.

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We have experimentally studied the magnetic shielding properties of a cylindrical shell of BiPbSrCaCuO subjected to low frequency AC axial magnetic fields. The magnetic response has been investigated as a function of the dimensions of the tube, the magnitude of the applied field and the frequency. These results are explained quantitatively by employing the method of Brandt (1998 Phys. Rev. B 58 6506) with a Jc(B) law appropriate for a polycrystalline material. Specifically, we observe that the applied field can sweep into the central region either through the thickness of the shield or through the opening ends, the latter mechanism being suppressed for long tubes. For the first time, we systematically detail the spatial variation of the shielding factor (the ratio of the applied field over the internal magnetic field) along the axis of a high-temperature superconducting tube. The shielding factor is shown to be constant in a region around the centre of the tube, and to decrease as an exponential in the vicinity of the ends. This spatial dependence comes from the competition between two mechanisms of field penetration. The frequency dependence of the shielding factor is also discussed and shown to follow a power law arising from the finite creep exponent n.

Very uniform and well shaped Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedra are synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method under the help of polyethylene glycol (PEG200) as a reductant and shape-directing agent. The nano-octahedra formation mechanism is monitored. The shape and crystal orientation of the nanoparticles is reconstructed by scanning electron microscopy and electron tomography, which reveals that the nano-octahedra only selectively expose {101} facets at the external surfaces. The magnetic testing demonstrates that the Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedra exhibit anomalous magnetic properties: the Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedra around 150 nm show a similar Curie temperature and blocking temperature to Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles with 10 nm size because of the vertical axis of [001] plane and the exposed {101} facets. With these Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedra as a catalyst, the photodecomposition of rhodamine B is evaluated and it is found that the photodecomposition activity of Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedra is much superior to that of commercial Mn₃O₄ powders. The anomalous magnetic properties and high superior photodecomposition activity of well shaped Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedra should be related to the special shape of the nanoparticles and the abundantly exposed {101} facets at the external surfaces. Therefore, the shape preference can largely broaden the application of the Mn₃O₄ nano-octahedra.

Monolayers of colloidal spheres are used as masks in nanosphere lithography (NSL) for the selective deposition of nanostructured layers. Several methods exist for the formation of self-organized particle monolayers, among which spin coating appears to be very promising. However, a spin coating process is defined by several parameters like several ramps, rotation speeds, and durations. All parameters influence the spreading and drying of the droplet containing the particles. Moreover, scientists are confronted with the formation of numerous defects in spin coated layers, limiting well-ordered areas to a few micrometers squared. So far, empiricism has mainly ruled the world of nanoparticle self-organization by spin coating, and much of the literature is experimentally based. Therefore, the development of experimental protocols to control the ordering of particles is a major goal for further progress in NSL. We applied experimental design to spin coating, to evaluate the efficiency of this method to extract and model the relationships between the experimental parameters and the degree of ordering in the particles monolayers. A set of experiments was generated by the MODDE software and applied to the spin coating of latex suspension (diameter 490 nm). We calculated the ordering by a homemade image analysis tool. The results of partial least squares (PLS) modeling show that the proposed mathematical model only fits data from strictly monolayers but is not predictive for new sets of parameters. We submitted the data to principal component analysis (PCA) that was able to explain 91% of the results when based on strictly monolayered samples. PCA shows that the ordering was positively correlated to the ramp time and negatively correlated to the first rotation speed. We obtain large defect-free domains with the best set of parameters tested in this study. This protocol leads to areas of 200 μm(2), which has never been reported so far.