Synthesis of ceramic nanoparticles by laser pyrolysis: From research to applications

•Ceramic nanoparticles (SiC, SiO2 and TiO2) were synthesized by laser pyrolysis.•SiC nanoparticles properties were tuned for the preparation of coolant nanofluids.•Pure and N-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were studied for applying in porous electrodes.•SiO2- and TiO2-based nanocomposites were developed for cultural heritage preservation.

Nanoparticles are the building blocks of many approaches for realizing nanostructured materials and devices. The technique of CO2 laser pyrolysis of gas- or vapour-phase precursors for the synthesis of nanoparticles has proven to be a very flexible and versatile technique which permits to cope with several challenges in different sectors of nanotechnology. Different kinds of pyrolytic nanopowders with average size in the range 5–60 nm and a narrow size distribution, have been produced and tested for the fabrication of structural materials and/or for functional applications in various fields. Here we report new results on the synthesis of SiC, TiO2 and SiO2 nanoparticles for energetic applications and cultural heritage preservation.