System and method for rapid, high throughput, high pressure synthesis of materials from a liquid precursor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11383218-B2
Application number	US-202017111065-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2020
Priority date	Nov 28, 2018
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for synthesis of condensed nano-materials to at least one of create nanoparticles or modify existing nanoparticles. In one embodiment the system may have a source of liquid precursor, with the liquid precursor including a compound therein. A flow control element and a compression wave generating subsystem are also included. The flow control element is in communication with the source of the liquid precursor and creates a jet of liquid precursor. The compression wave generating subsystem drives a compression wave through at least a substantial portion of a thickness of the jet of liquid precursor to sufficiently compress the jet of liquid precursor, and to increase pressure and temperature of the jet of liquid precursor, to at least one of create nanoparticles or modify existing nanoparticles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for synthesis of a precursor material to at least one of create nanoparticles or modify existing nanoparticles, the system comprising:
a source of liquid precursor containing a compound needed for at least one of forming nanoparticles or modifying existing nanoparticles;
a flow control element in communication with the source of the liquid precursor which creates a jet of liquid precursor exiting the flow control element; and
a compression wave generating subsystem, configured to generate a compression wave through at least a substantial portion of a thickness of the jet of liquid precursor to sufficiently compress the jet of liquid precursor, and to increase pressure and temperature of the jet of liquid precursor, to at least one of create nanoparticles or modify existing nanoparticles present in the jet of liquid precursor.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compression wave generating subsystem comprises an electromagnetic wave energy source which generates at least one electromagnetic wave energy beam directly at the jet of liquid precursor to impinge the jet of liquid precursor.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet of liquid precursor comprises a liquid compound that at least one of: generates solid nanoparticles upon the application of a compression wave, or coats existing nanoparticles upon the application of a compression wave.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet of liquid precursor comprises at least one of:
liquid carbon monoxide;
ethanol;
isopropanol;
silicon tetrachloride;
germanium tetrachloride;
tin tetrachloride; or
a liquid compound including nanoparticles made of at least one of carbon, silicon, germanium, tin, copper or gold, or a compound different from carbon, silicon, germanium, tin, copper or gold.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise nano-diamonds.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet of liquid precursor comprises a jet shaped as a rectangular sheet.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet of liquid precursor has a thickness of 10 s to 100 s of microns.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet of liquid precursor has a length of about 0.1 mm to 10 mm.

9. The system of claim 2 , wherein the electromagnetic wave energy source comprises a laser which generates a laser beam, and the laser beam comprises at least one laser beam pulse.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one laser beam pulse has an oblong shape when viewed in cross section.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the laser beam is comprised of a plurality of pulses.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flow control element comprises a flow nozzle.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic controller configured to control the compression wave generating subsystem.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the compression wave generating subsystem comprises a laser which generates a laser beam, and where the laser beam is directed along a path non-parallel to a path of travel of the jet of liquid precursor;
wherein the system further comprises a valve operably associated with the flow control element for controlling a release of the liquid precursor to form the jet of liquid precursor, the electronic controller operating to control a release of the jet of liquid precursor from the flow control element in timed relationship with generation of the laser beam such that the jet of liquid precursor is impinged by the laser beam as the jet of liquid precursor falls by gravity through an ambient environment; and
wherein the flow control element includes a flow nozzle.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compression wave generating subsystem comprises a 10 s of nanosecond duration Q-switched pulsed laser; and
wherein the Q-switched pulsed laser produces a pulsed beam having a wavelength that is absorbed by the jet of liquid precursor, and wherein the wavelength comprises at least one of: 1064 nm, 532 nm, 355 nm, 266 nm, or 213 nm wavelength; and
wherein the jet of liquid precursor comprises a liquid compound that either generates solid nanoparticles or coats existing nanoparticles upon the application of a compression wave.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the jet of liquid precursor comprises at least one of:
liquid carbon monoxide;
ethanol;
isopropanol;
silicon tetrachloride;
germanium tetrachloride;
tin tetrachloride; or
nanoparticles made of at least one of carbon, silicon, germanium, tin, copper, gold, or a different compound other than carbon, silicon, germanium, tin, copper or gold.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet of liquid precursor includes at least one of:
a silicon-containing liquid; or
silicon nanoparticles.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet of liquid precursor includes at least one of:
germanium-containing liquid; or
germanium nanoparticles.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet of liquid precursor includes at least one of:
tin-containing liquid; or
tin nanoparticles.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compound within the jet of liquid precursor comprises a first material; and
wherein the jet of liquid precursor further includes a second material different from the first material.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet of liquid precursor contains nanoparticles formed of a first material, and wherein the nanoparticle-containing liquid precursor may be dynamically compressed to form a second material.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the second material is the same as the first material.

23. The system of claim 1 , wherein the jet of liquid precursor is chosen to optimize effectiveness of the compression wave for generating or modifying nanoparticles.

24. The system of claim 20 , wherein the second material comprises at least one of metallic nanoparticles or molecular chromophores.

25. The system of claim 9 , wherein a laser wavelength of the at least one laser beam pulse is chosen to match an absorption of the jet of liquid precursor.

26. The system of claim 20 , wherein at least one of the first material or the second material within the jet of liquid precursor acts both as a seed material and as an absorber to absorb the compression wave impinging on the jet of liquid precursor.

27. A system for synthesis of condensed materials to at least one of create nanoparticles or modify existing nanoparticles, the system comprising:
a source of liquid precursor containing a compound needed for at least one of: creating nanoparticles or modifying existing nanoparticles;
a flow nozzle in communication with the source of the liquid precursor which creates a jet of liquid precursor exiting the flow nozzle, the jet of liquid precursor forming a generally planar liquid sheet; and
a laser for generating at least one laser pulse aimed along a path perpendicular to a path of travel of the jet of liquid precursor, to impinge the jet of liquid precursor as the jet of liquid precursor falls, the laser pulse having sufficient power to drive a compression wave through the jet of liquid precursor to sufficiently compress the jet of liquid precursor, and to increase pressure and temperature of the jet of liquid precursor, to at least one of create nanoparticles or modify existing nanoparticles.

28. The system of claim 27 , wherein the source of liquid precursor comprises a liquid compo

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Armstrong Michael Robert
• Bastea Sorin

Classifications

• C01B33/021

  Preparation (chemical coating from the vapour phase C23C16/00) · CPC title

• B01J2203/0625

  Carbon · CPC title

• C01B32/26

  Preparation (by using ultra-high pressure B01J3/06; by crystal growth C30B29/04) · CPC title

• B01J19/26

  Nozzle-type reactors, i.e. the distribution of the initial reactants within the reactor is effected by their introduction or injection through nozzles · CPC title

• B01J2219/0877

  Liquid · CPC title