Inorganic materials are characterized by i) the atoms present, which define their composition, and the way in which the atoms are assembled, which defines their crystallographic structure, and ii) the type of bonds by which the atoms are connected, which governs their electrochemical properties. Various synthesis methods enabling a wide range of materials to be obtained - by playing on temperature, pressure and composition - were presented, ranging from ceramic methods leading only to thermodynamic products to soft chemistry methods offering access to a multitude of metastable phases. Various syntheses based on the concept of topotactic reactions and involving insertion chemistry, acid-base chemistry and graft chemistry were also presented.
The field of colloid and soil chemistry - which is of vital importance in today's context of sustainable development - is at the heart of this year's program. Beyond composition, temperature and pressure, this field considers other dimensions, such as size and morphology, for the preparation of new products as well as existing products with exacerbated physical properties. This lecture covers various synthesis processes such as sol-gel processes, self-assembly in the presence of molds via chemical and electrochemical routes, electro-assisted extrusion as well as most thin-film deposition processes via physical routes.
Against this backdrop, the first lecture lays the foundations for understanding the 2015-2016 program. First, we review the effect of size, surface/volume ratio and, above all, surface energy on the magnetic, optical, catalytic and electrochemical properties of materials. We also show how the nano aspect can modify phase diagrams, the stability of polymorphs or alter melting points. The differences between colloids, sols, emulsions and suspensions, which often serve as reaction precursors, are mentioned. The colloidal aspect, closely linked to light scattering, is then commented on, as is the stability of colloids/soils vs. flocculation or segregation, to end with ferrofluids, which illustrate the applied aspect of colloids.
