Symposium K, 'Nanostructures, Thin Films and Bulk Oxides - Synthesis, Characterization and Applications' and Symposium RR, 'Solution Synthesis of Inorganic Functional Materials' were held April 21-25 at the 2014 MRS Spring Meeting in San Francisco, California. Oxide materials from bulk down to nanostructures are used for applications in microelectronics, communications, sensing, energy, catalysis, nanophotonics and optoelectronics. As the characteristic dimensions of oxide systems shrink into the nanometer range, there are increased technological challenges for synthesis, processing and characterization to ensure high uniformity, reproducibility and cost reduction. This symposium proceedings volume represents the recent advances in various areas of deposition, processing, characterization and integration of functional oxide materials, with particular emphasis on the relationship among the structure, composition, stability and functional properties. The papers are divided into three sections: (1) ZnO Thin Films and Nanostructures, (2) Multiferroics, Magnetism and Magnetic Materials and (3) Oxide Thin Films and Nanostructures.

Symposium M, Solution Synthesis of Inorganic Functional Materials Films, Nanoparticles, and Nanocomposites was held April 1 5th, 2013 at the 2013 MRS Spring Meeting in San Francisco, California. The symposium was focused on solution synthesis approaches for the growth of a wide range of advanced functional inorganic materials. Recent results were presented on the growth of: (i) highly crystalline functional oxide films; (ii) nanoparticles and nanocrystals; and (iii) nanostructures or nanocomposites by various chemical solution methods. Gas sensing, photovoltaic, plasmonics, memory devices, spintronics, bio-medical, superconducting, and magnetic-field sensing applications were extensively discussed. The articles in this symposium proceeding volume cover the development of different chemical solution approaches to synthesize inorganic functional materials for enhanced and/or novel functionalities for a variety of applications. These papers convey the breadth of exciting advancements happening in the area of functional materials grown by various solution methods."