VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is developing new techniques for the production of metallic nanoparticles. VTT's new production reactor, operating at atmospheric pressure, reduces the production costs of multicomponent particles. It enables the production of metallic nanomaterials, which are not yet commercially available, for research and product development needs.
The most significant applications for metallic nanoparticles currently involve the utilization of their optical and magnetic properties for conductive inks and catalysts. These uses are also the primary areas of focus of VTT’s development work. In the future, optically transparent coatings will make it possible to replace precious metals with copper in, for example, solar cells, opto-electronics and diagnostics.