This paper reviews the radiation-induced synthesis of metallic nanostructures and their applications. Radiolysis is a powerful method for synthesizing metallic nanoparticles in solution and heterogeneous media, and it is a clean alternative to other existing physical, chemical, and physicochemical methods. By varying parameters such as the absorbed dose, dose rate, concentrations of metallic precursors, and nature of stabilizing agents, it is possible to control the size, shape, and morphology (alloy, core-shell, etc.) of the nanostructures and, consequently, their properties. Therefore, the as-synthesized nanoparticles have many potential applications in biology, medicine, (photo)catalysis, or energy conversion.
Keywords: catalysis; energy; ionizing radiation; metallic nanoparticles; nucleation; optical properties; radiolysis; radiotherapy; redox properties.