As key components to improve energy densities, metal fuel based energetic materials are widely used in many energetic systems, for example, as additives for propellants and explosives. High-energy metal fuel powders have fairly large surface areas and are extremely reactive. Proper surface modification improves the safety and stability of these materials and may also enhance their energy releases. By applying atomic layer deposition (ALD) or molecular layer deposition (MLD), surfaces properties of the metal particles can be dramatically changed and their energy release patterns can be effectively tuned at minimum losses of the energy densities.

Zr powder is a very promising high energy metal fuel. However, spontaneous oxidation and/or combustion in air greatly constrains its applications. By applying ALD surface modification, metallic Zr particles can be encapsulated by uniform layers of metal oxides, polymers, or carbon. The thicknesses of the encapsulation layers can be precisely controlled. The oxidization process of Zr particles can be tuned in a wide range by varying the type and thickness of the ALD coating, which significantly enhances the safety in handling, storage, and utilization of this high energy material.   

Metal nanoparticle based thermite materials feature very exothermic solid-state redox reactions. However, reaction rates of traditional thermite mixtures are limited by reactant diffusion velocities. Core-shell structured nanothermite materials can be synthesized by depositing certain types of metal oxides (oxidizers) on Al nanoparticles. The oxidizer layers deposited on the Al nanoparticles are conformal and their thicknesses can be precisely controlled by adjusting the number of ALD cycle. Reaction rates of the core–shell structured nanothermites are much faster than the mixture of nanopowders. The enhanced reaction rate is ascribed to the intimate fuel-oxidizer contact as a result of the exquisite core–shell nanostructure and excellent conformity of the oxidizer shells.