Review – Development of inorganic nanostructures by microwave synthesis technique

We present an overview of microwave-assisted synthesis method to develop inorganic nanostructured materials, which have received great interest due to their potential applications in different fields of science and technology. The current trend for the adoption of eco-friendly synthesis methods for the preparation of nanomaterials has thrown a challenge to develop synthetic methods that offer significant reduction in reaction time, lower energy consumption and less use of toxic chemicals. The microwave (MW) assisted synthesis route can play the role of a potential green synthesis approach to prepare inorganic nanostructured materials and their composites. In addition, the MW assisted route provides uniform heating throughout the reaction mixture and minimizes the non-uniform temperature profile, which results in the formation of uniform small nanoparticles. This review discusses the basic principles of MW synthesis to understand the MW heating mechanism. In addition, we discuss recent progress on the development of inorganic nanostructures in liquid phase by MW synthesis technique. Finally, we present the application of microwave synthesized nanomaterials in the development of battery technology, followed by safety features and future aspects of MW synthesis.