Nanomaterials in general and metal oxide nanomaterials in particular have many uses, starting from medical uses in building batteries, to selective catalysts of chemical reactions. For each type of use, nanomaterials with very specific properties are required in terms of chemical composition, crystalline phase, size and shape. In order to acquire the ability to control the properties of nanomaterials, an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of their formation is required.
Most of the activity in the laboratory of Prof. Igor Rahinov focuses on the study of the mechanisms responsible for the production of high temperatures nanomaterials in gas phase. By using experimental methods based on laser and mass spectrometry, and with the help of simulations of fluid flow dynamics and chemical kinetics, the researchers in Prof. Rahinov's laboratory follow the complex chain of reactions that leads to the creation of nanoparticles. In addition, a significant part of the activity is devoted to the fundamental understanding of the interaction between molecules in the gaseous phase and the surface of catalytic solids - metals and metal oxides.
The research is done in collaboration with researchers from Duisburg-Essen University and Gottingen University in Germany.
Prof. Igor Rahinov conducts his research in the laboratory of Prof. Sergey Cheskis from the School of Chemistry of the Faculty of Exact Sciences at Tel Aviv University.