Tailoring the shape of amorphous nanomaterials: recent developments and applications

Nanoscale amorphous materials are very important member of the non-crystalline solids family and have emerged as a new category of advanced materials. However, morphological control of amorphous nanomaterials is very difficult because of the atomic isotropy of their internal structures. In this review, we introduce some emerging innovative methods to fabricate well-defined, regular-shaped amorphous nanomaterials. We then highlight some examples to evaluate the use of these amorphous materials in electrodes, and their optical response. There is still plenty of room to explore the amorphous world. As researchers continue to advance the scientific tools that underpin the concepts related to “amorphous”, additional applications of these materials will emerge. Their controlled synthesis will undoubtedly attain new heights in the discipline of nanomaterials, and allow nanoscale amorphous materials to become more sophisticated, diverse, and mainstream.