Transition metal oxide nanostructures: premeditated fabrication and applications in electronic and photonic devices

Transition metal oxide (TMO) nanomaterials possess both novel nanoeffects and excellent semiconductor properties that make them promising materials for electronics and photonics. Great expectations have been placed on TMO nanomaterials to deal with the global challenges in many fields, especially portable equipment and energy issues. In the last decades, extensive research work concentrated on the synthesis, microstructure, and macro-performance of TMO nanomaterials. A comprehensive understanding of both growth mechanism and underlying relationship between microstructure and physical properties can lead to performance enhancements of TMO nanomaterials in electronics and photonics, which in turn enables the fabrication TMO nanostructures based on anticipated design strategies. At present, TMO nanostructures do not satisfactorily meet the technical criteria for direct practical applications in electronics and photonics. In this paper, recent developments in synthesis, characterization, and prominent applications of TMO nanomaterials are reviewed from a structural perspective, which serves as a stepping stone to develop novel nanostructures with superior performances and provides a necessary guidance for transformation of scientific achievements into practical applications.