CBE Seminar: Arvind Varma

“Solution Combustion Synthesis of Nanoscale Materials: Fundamentals and Applications”

We have developed solution combustion synthesis (SCS), a novel one-step technique for the preparation of nanoscale complex metal oxide powders.  It involves mixing of metal nitrates (in stoichiometric proportions) and fuel, their dissolution in water, followed by heating and self-combustion to yield the product. In SCS, homogenous mixing ensures controlled composition and oxidation state of the product, which is typically of nanoscale dimension, with high surface area and controlled pore structure. We have utilized the SCS technique to synthesize novel materials for a variety of contemporary applications, including catalysts for various uses, oxygen carriers for chemical looping combustion and anode materials for Lithium-ion batteries.

In this talk, I will first present the basic ideas of the SCS technique.  This will be followed by some of our key results for different applications.

Seminar Flyer_Arvind Varma