X-ray absorption studies of the structure of nanocrystalline oxides

X-ray absorption spectroscopy is a prime tool in probing the local structure in condensed matter. This contribution describes some of the applications of this technique to probe the microstructure of nanocrystalline oxides. By the use of specific examples four areas will be covered, namely the effect of grain size and preparation route on microstructure, the locating of dopant sites and the chemical nature of metal/oxide catalysts. The materials involved are tin oxide, lithium niobate, titanium dioxide and copper/ceria.