Chemical synthesis of solid inorganic materials

Chemical methods of synthesis of materials play a crucial role in designing and discovering new materials and also in providing better and less cumbersome methods for preparing known materials. In this article, we shall discuss the chemical synthesis of inorganic solids, in particular oxidic materials. We shall first briefly examine the different classes of chemical reactions generally employed for synthesis and then discuss the various methods used along with several case studies and examples. In addition to the traditional ceramic method, the topics discussed include the combustion method (self-propagating high-temperature synthesis), the precursor method, topochemical routes, intercalation compounds, the ion-exchange method, the sol-gel process, the alkali-flux method, electrochemical methods, the pyrosol process and high pressure methods. The last topic includes hydrothermal synthesis of zeolitic materials. Intergrowth structures and superconducting cuprates are discussed in separate sections. It is hoped that the article will provide a useful survey of chemical methods of synthesis of inorganic materials and will serve as a ready reference to practitioners of the subject.