Conclusion
Metallic nanophases - Definitions, processing and properties

Metallic nanophases are utilized for their physical and chemical properties, especially in a dispersed state (nanopowder, colloid), or are “incidentally present” due to product miniaturization. In all cases, to better understand these behaviors and explore potential applications, it is necessary to identify the reason(s) for the emergence of new properties linked to the nanoscale nature of the phases—in this case, metallic ones. The method involves comparing the dimension(s) of a phase’s microstructure with the scale length(s) associated with a property, when such a scale length exists.

Behavioral discontinuities are highlighted for mechanical, optical, and magnetic properties, for which the relevant length scales are identified, respectively, with the properties of dislocations, the confinement of electron plasmons, and magnetic domain walls. Chemistry, which has...