Iron-carbon nanocapsules were synthesized by plasma arc discharge (PAD) process under various atmosphere of methane, argon and hydrogen gas. Characterization and surface properties were investigated by means of HRTEM, XRD, XPS and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Fe nanocapsules synthesized were composed of three phases with core/shell structures. The surface of nanocapsules was covered by the shell of graphite phase in the thickness of nm.

Fe nanopowders were successfully synthesized by plasma arc discharge (PAD) process using Fe rod. The influence of chamber pressure on the microstructure was investigated by means of X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The prepared particles had nearly spherical shapes and consisted of metallic cores (a-Fe) and oxide shells (FeO), The powder size increased with increasing chamber pressure due to the higher dissolution and ejection rate of H and gas density in the molten metal.

The nano-sized Co particles were successfully synthesized by chemical vapor condensation (CVC) process using the precursor of cobalt carbonyl (). The influence of carrier gases on the microstructure and magnetic properties of nanoparticles was investigated by means of XRD, TEM, XPS and VSM. The Co nano-particles with different phases and shapes were synthesized with a change of carrier gas : long string morphologies with coexistence of fcc and hcp structure in Ar carrier gas condition; finer Co core in a mass of cobalt oxide with only fcc structure in He; rod type cobalt oxide phase in Ar＋6vol％. The saturation magnetization and coercivity was lower in Co nanoparticles synthesized in He carrier gas, due to their finer size.

Synthesis and characteristics of Cu nanopowder were considered by in-situ characterization method using SMPS in pulsed wire evaporation process. With increasing pressure in chamber, particle size and degree of agglomeration increased by increase of collision frequency. Also, it was found from the XRD analyses and BET measurements that crystallite size and particle size decreased with elevating applied voltage. However, SMPS measurements and TEM observation revealed the increase of particle size and degree of agglomeration with increase of applied voltage. These results suggested that particle growth and agglomeration depend on overheating factor in chamber at the early stage and thermal coagulation in filtering system during powder formation until collection.

nanopowder was synthesized by chemical vapor condensation (CVC) process and its photocatalytic property depending on microstructure was considered in terns of decomposition rate of organic compound. In order to control microstructure of nanopowder such as particle size and degree of agglomeration, precursor flow rate representing number concentration was changed as a process variable. In TEM observation, spherical nanoparticles with average size of 20 nm showed gradual increases in particle size and degree of agglomeration with increase of precursor flow rate. Also decomposition rate of organic compound increased with decreasing precursor flow rate. Thus, it was concluded that photocatalytic property was enhanced by targe surface area of disperse nanoparticles synthesized at lower precursor flow rate condition in CVC process