Abstract: Disclosed herein is a composition for making a thin film comprising a solvent; a plurality of particles; the particles being derived by reacting a metal salt with itself or with a ligand; where the metal salt forms metal oxides and/or metal hydroxides upon reacting with itself or with a ligand; and where the particles have a metal oxide content that is substantially greater than their metal hydroxide content when heated at a temperature of less than or equal to 200° C. Disclosed herein too is a method for making the composition.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a composition for making a thin film comprising a solvent; a plurality of particles; the particles being derived by reacting a metal salt with itself or with a ligand; where the metal salt forms metal oxides and/or metal hydroxides upon reacting with itself or with a ligand; and where the particles have a metal oxide content that is substantially greater than their metal hydroxide content when heated at a temperature of less than or equal to 200° C. Disclosed herein too is a method comprising mixing a metal salt with a solvent to form a reaction mixture; where the metal salt reacts with itself to form metal oxides and metal hydroxides; and where the metal oxide content is substantially greater than the metal hydroxide content at a temperature of less than or equal to 200° C.; adding a pH agent to the reaction mixture; and disposing the reaction mixture on a substrate.