Advances in Deposition of Transition-Metal Oxides from Metal Enolates

This chapter is an update of part of a review published by our group elsewhere in Patai's Series; in addition, in this volume, chapters present the recent advances in the deposition of metals and oxides of main-group metals and rare-earth elements, all derived from metal enolates. Metal oxides are essential as common inorganic crude materials, possessing a manifold portfolio of applications because of their singular physical and chemical properties. Metal oxides are formed by straight vaporization from metal oxide sources, by evaporation of metals in an oxidizing atmosphere, or via wet chemistry, for example, the sol-gel process. Their industrial use includes protective coatings, electrical insulator materials, gate oxides, transparent conductors, piezoelectric materials, battery electrode materials, electrochromic devices, optical filters, laser-active media, wide-bandgap semiconductors, solar absorbers, and many others. Keywords: metal enolates; metal oxides; mixed metal oxides; metal β-diketonates; main-group elements; rare earth metal elements; deposition; gas-phase; wet chemistry