Process and system for sizing two-dimensional nanostructures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11525770-B2
Application number	US-202016898912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2020
Priority date	Jun 11, 2019
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A process for sizing two-dimensional nanostructures includes providing the nanostructures to a liquid-liquid interface, providing probe particles to the liquid-liquid interface, obtaining an image of the nanostructures and the probe particles, and processing the image to ascertain a size property of the nanostructures.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for sizing two-dimensional nanostructures, the system comprising:
a housing including: i) at least one biphasic fluid chamber containing a first liquid and a second liquid that is immiscible with the first liquid so as to create an imaging surface and at least one port configured to receive a nanostructure material which is adsorbed along the imaging surface and, separately, probe particles introduced to interstitial spaces of the nanostructure material, thereby creating a contrasted sample;
an optical imaging instrument configured to capture an image of contrasted sample along substantially all of the imaging surface; and
a microprocessor configured to i) generate a binary image of the contrasted sample with separate colors associated with the nanostructure material and the charged particles and ii) calculate a size property associated with the nanostructure material.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of ports are formed, at least one port dedicated for injection of a sample and/or receipt of the probe particles.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of ports are formed, at least one port dedicated for expulsion of fluids from the chamber.

4. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a portable and replaceable power source contained within the housing and wherein the optical imaging instrument is an optical microscope.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first fluid is an aqueous based solution and the second fluid is an alkane.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first liquid and the second liquid have different densities.

7. A process for determining a size property of two-dimensional nanostructures in a sample, the process comprising:
providing a sample composition comprising two-dimensional nanostructures to a liquid- liquid interface;
providing probe particles to the liquid-liquid interface;
capturing an image of the two-dimensional nanostructures and the probe particles at the liquid-liquid interface;
processing the image by filtering the image to create a binary image wherein the two- dimensional nanostructures are represented by a first color and the probe particles are represented by a different color and executing an algorithm on the binary image to determine the size property.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the image is captured using an optical microscope.

9. The process of claim 7 , wherein the two-dimensional nanostructures are graphene oxide nanosheets.

10. The process of claim 7 , wherein the probe particles comprise charged polystyrene particles.

11. The process of claims 7 , wherein the probe particles are nanoparticles.

12. The process of claim 7 , further comprising:
creating the liquid-liquid interface between a first liquid and a second liquid prior to the provision of the two-dimensional nanostructures and the probe particles.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the first liquid and the second liquid are immiscible and have different densities.

14. The process of claim 12 , wherein the first liquid is water and the second liquid is an oil.

15. The process of claim 12 , wherein the second liquid is an alkane.

16. The process of claims 12 , wherein the second liquid is decane.

17. The process of claim 12 , wherein the algorithm is executed using a computer processor.

Assignees

• Cleveland State Univ
• Univ Case Western Reserve

Inventors

• Luo Qinmo
• Pentzer Emily B
• Wirth Christopher L

Classifications

• G01N21/255 Primary

  Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems · CPC title

• G01N2021/8405

  Application to two-phase or mixed materials, e.g. gas dissolved in liquids · CPC title

• G01B11/022

  by means of tv-camera scanning · CPC title

• G01N21/90

  in a container or its contents (G01N21/91 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01B9/04

  Measuring microscopes · CPC title