Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis, Debye Institute for Nanomaterials Science, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Adv Mater. 2013 Dec 10;25(46):6672-90. doi: 10.1002/adma.201301912. Epub 2013 Sep 8.
The rapidly expanding toolbox for design and preparation is a major driving force for the advances in nanomaterials science and technology. Melt infiltration originates from the field of ceramic nanomaterials and is based on the infiltration of porous matrices with the melt of an active phase or precursor. In recent years, it has become a technique for the preparation of advanced materials: nanocomposites, pore-confined nanoparticles, ordered mesoporous and nanostructured materials. Although certain restrictions apply, mostly related to the melting behavior of the infiltrate and its interaction with the matrix, this review illustrates that it is applicable to a wide range of materials, including metals, polymers, ceramics, and metal hydrides and oxides. Melt infiltration provides an alternative to classical gas-phase and solution-based preparation methods, facilitating in several cases extended control over the nanostructure of the materials. This review starts with a concise discussion on the physical and chemical principles for melt infiltration, and the practical aspects. In the second part of this contribution, specific examples are discussed of nanostructured functional materials with applications in energy storage and conversion, catalysis, and as optical and structural materials and emerging materials with interesting new physical and chemical properties. Melt infiltration is a useful preparation route for material scientists from different fields, and we hope this review may inspire the search and discovery of novel nanostructured materials.
快速扩展的设计和制备工具是推动纳米材料科学和技术进步的主要动力。熔体渗透起源于陶瓷纳米材料领域，基于活性相或前体的熔体对多孔基体的渗透。近年来，它已成为制备先进材料的一种技术：纳米复合材料、孔限制纳米粒子、有序介孔和纳米结构材料。尽管存在某些限制，主要与渗透体的熔化行为及其与基体的相互作用有关，但本综述表明，它适用于包括金属、聚合物、陶瓷、金属氢化物和氧化物在内的广泛材料。熔体渗透为经典的气相和溶液制备方法提供了一种替代方法，在某些情况下有助于对材料的纳米结构进行更广泛的控制。本综述首先简要讨论了熔体渗透的物理和化学原理以及实际方面。在本综述的第二部分，讨论了具有储能和转换、催化以及光学和结构材料应用的功能纳米结构材料的具体实例，以及具有有趣新物理和化学性质的新兴材料。熔体渗透是来自不同领域的材料科学家的有用制备途径，我们希望本综述可以激发对新型纳米结构材料的探索和发现。
