This review paper highlights how supercritical fluid technology applied to materials processing can play a great role in materials science. It is shown that this way of materials processing offers the possibility of controlling the synthesis by varying operating parameters. Understanding how each parameter influences the synthesis process allows one to control the characteristics of the material, in terms of size, morphology, structure and composition. It is equally shown how these operating parameters influence the properties of the material, and therefore their applications in numerous technologically important fields such as energy, chemistry, electronics, optics and pharmacology. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.