Raman scattering on nanomaterials and nanostructures

The conventional Raman scattering spectroscopy is one of the most used and powerful techniques for characterization of nano-sized materials and structures. By proper analysis of optical mode shift and broadening in nanomaterials based on phonon confinement model, it is possible to deduce about the influence of various effects like particle size and size distribution, strain, change of phonon dispersion, substitutional effects, defect states and nonstoichiometry, electron-phonon coupling. We have demonstrated potentials of this technique in CeO2 and TiO2 nanocrystalline systems analyzing their optical phonon properties. (C) 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim