Wet-chemical synthesis and applications of amorphous metal-containing nanomaterials

In the past decades, metal-containing nanomaterials have attracted increasing interests owing to their intriguing physicochemical properties and various promising applications. Recent research has revealed that the phase of metal-containing nanomaterials could significantly affect their properties and functions. In particular, nanomaterials with amorphous phase, which possess long-range disordered atomic arrangements, and the amorphous/crystalline heterophase nanostructures comprised of both amorphous and crystalline phases, have exhibited superior performance in various applications, e.g., catalysis and energy storage. In this review, a brief overview of the recent progress on the wet-chemical synthesis and applications of amorphous and amorphous/crystalline heterophase metal-containing nanomaterials has been provided. Subsequently, on the basis of different categories of metal-containing nanomaterials, including metals, metal alloys, and metal compounds, their synthetic routes and promising applications will be highlighted. Finally, current challenges and some personal perspectives in this emerging research field will be proposed. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]