The present PhD Thesis deals about the design and development of new nanomaterials for their use in catalysis, photocatalysis and photochemistry. Chapter 2 has devoted to the synthesis and characterization of ZrO2 and WOx-ZrO2 obtained by microwave synthesis. Moreover their catalytic properties have been tested in several reactions. Chapter 3 is focused on nanocatalysts design for selective hydrogenations, whose content is confidential. Chapter 4 deals about the synthesis of Cu-TiO2 for the simultaneous CO2 photoreduction and sulfide abatement. Moreover, upconverting particles based on Er,Yb:Y2O3 have been introduced in fotoanodes for a better solar spectrum profit. Finally, in chapter 4 Er,Yb:ZrO2 y ErTm,Yb:NaYF4 based upconversion nanoparticles were introduced in hybrid nanocomposites made of diureasil and PDMS, respectively, and their optical and structural properties were further studied.
