The Microwave plasma process – a versatile process to synthesise nanoparticulate materials

The microwave plasma process inherently produces nanoparticulate powders with very narrow particle size distribution. During synthesis, the particles carry electric charges of equal sign. Therefore, by electrostatic repulsion, particle growth is reduced and agglomeration thwarted. This is shown by gas kinetic considerations and experimental results. Furthermore, this process allows coating of the particles with organic or inorganic phases, reducing interaction of different particles. This makes it possible to technically exploit properties, characteristic for isolated particles. Additionally, the coating process allows the combination of different properties such as superparamagnetism and luminescence, as it is demonstrated in different examples.