archives@tulane.edu / Reactive Cavitation Erosion (RCE), a new materials processing technique for the production of functionalized nanomaterials in which acoustic cavitation erosion is performed in a reactive medium, is described herein. Background material on acoustic cavitation erosion in the form of a literature review is presented. The effects of fluid properties and ambient pressure on the bubble dynamics at the high acoustic pressures commensurate with RCE are studied. The solutions to the Rayleigh-Plesset equation (RPE) and Keller-Miksis equation (KME) are compared. It is shown that to a first approximation, the RPE and KME give similar results. Analyses of the RPE solutions for real-world fluids reveal that many fluids result in cavitation intensity comparable to or greater than that of water. The groundwork for future modelling of RCE was established through the development of the Hemispherical Pit Model (HPM). The HPM is based upon a simple geometrical model of the volume loss process and contains parameters that may be more directly related to material properties and experimental parameters. Formation of functionalized clinoatacamite nanoparticles is achieved through Reactive Cavitation Erosion of copper discs in a 1 M guanidine hydrochloride solution. From analyses, the mechanism for formation of the clinoatacamite proceeded from ablation of metallic copper from the disc surface followed by subsequent reactions in solution. / 1 / Jeremy William Wright