Flow-regulated growth of nanotubes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10907265-B2
Application number	US-201715669034-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2017
Priority date	Aug 4, 2016
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A method for growing nanotubes via flow-regulated microfluidic electrochemical anodization, includes providing a microfluidic device having a fluid inlet; a fluid outlet; and a fluidic microchannel connecting the fluid inlet and outlet, wherein the microchannel includes a Pt cathode and a Ti anode separated by an electrical insulator; providing an electrolyte fluid flow through the microchannel; and providing an electrical current across the anode and cathode sufficient to cause electrochemical anodization growth of TiO2 nanotubes in the microchannel on a surface of the anode.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method for growing nanotubes via flow-regulated electrochemical anodization, comprising:
flowing in a laminar flow an electrolyte between a metal anode and metal cathode within a channel up to 500 microns wide, wherein the distance between the anode and cathode is from 150 microns to 2050 microns;
providing an electrical current across the anode and cathode sufficient to cause electrochemical anodization growth of nanotubes on a surface of the anode; and controlling a rate of the laminar flow to effect a desired growth of the nanotubes in a laminar flow region, wherein the laminar flow comprises a flow rate having a Peclet number of above 100 sufficient to inhibit growth of an oxide layer on the nanotubes.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow is a microfluidic flow.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal cathode comprises Pt.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal anode comprises titanium, aluminum, vanadium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, tantalum, or tungsten.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanotubes comprise TiO 2 .

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow rate is controlled to determine the length of the nanotubes.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow rate is controlled to determine the inner and outer diameter of the nanotubes.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laminar flow comprises a flow profile which is controlled to determine the distribution of the nanotubes within the channel.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laminar flow comprises a Reynolds number of below about 2000.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow rate comprises a Peclet number of above about 1000.

Assignees

• Wan Jiandi
• Fan Rong
• Wang Zihao
• Rochester Institute Tech

Inventors

• Wan Jiandi
• Fan Rong
• Wang Zihao

Classifications

• C25D11/04 Primary

  of aluminium or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• C25D11/26

  of refractory metals or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• C25D1/006 Primary

  Nanostructures, e.g. using aluminium anodic oxidation templates [AAO] · CPC title