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Impedance spectroscopy: Impedance spectroscopy of nanomaterials

Solid state impedance spectroscopy enables the various contributions to the resistive and capacitive properties of electronically inhomogeneous condensed matter to be deconvoluted and characterized separately. The different contributions arise from electronically distinct areas in the sample, which can in an ideal case be represented each by one standard RC element. In the following, the basic principles of impedance spectroscopy, different types of experimental setups and several examples of experimental impedance data sets from nanostructured materials are reviewed and discussed. The data analysis and equivalent circuit modelling processes which are relevant for the application of this technique to nanomaterials are emphasized. The different dimensions and structure of nanomaterials as compared to macroscopic bulk samples leads to quite different and sometimes more complex data that require detailed analysis and advanced equivalent circuit models.