Thermal shock synthesis of multielement nanoparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11891683-B2
Application number	US-202117526332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2021
Priority date	Nov 28, 2017
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

A formation of multielement nanoparticles is disclosed that includes at least three elements. Each of the at least three elements is uniformly distributed within the multielement nanoparticles forming nanoparticles having a homogeneous mixing structure. At least five elements may form a high-entropy nanoparticle structure. A method for manufacturing a formation of multielement nanoparticles includes providing a precursor material composed of the at least three component elements in multielement nanoparticles; heating the precursor material to a temperature and a time; and quenching the precursor to a temperature at a cooling rate to result in a formation of multielement nanoparticles containing at least three elements and the heating and the quenching representing a multielement nanoparticle thermal shock formation process. A corresponding system for manufacturing the formation of multielement nanoparticles and a method of using the multielement nanoparticles are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a heating chamber configured to apply a thermal shock to one or more solution-based salt precursors by heating at a first temperature for a first time and subsequently quenching at a cooling rate, the heating chamber comprising one or more Joule heating elements, each Joule heating element being formed of conductive carbon, the conductive carbon comprising carbon nanofibers;
a container storing the one or more solution-based salt precursors and configured to apply a coating of the one or more solution-based salt precursors on a substrate prior to the heating chamber; and
a controller operatively coupled to the heating chamber and configured to control operation thereof to apply the thermal shock to the one or more solution-based salt precursors,
wherein the controller is configured to control the heating chamber such that:
the first temperature of the thermal shock is in a range of 500-3000 K,
the first time is in a range of 1 millisecond to 1 minute, and
the cooling rate is in a range of 10 K/s to 10 6 K/s.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heating chamber is a heating vessel having an inlet portion for receiving the one or more solution-based salt precursors and an outlet portion for conveying particles resulting from the thermal shock.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the heating chamber such that the first time is in a range of 5 milliseconds to 55 milliseconds.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the heating chamber such that the heating chamber is heated at a heating rate to the first temperature prior to the first time, and the heating rate is in a range of 10 K/s to 10 6 K/s.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein an interior of the heating chamber comprises a vacuum.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein an interior of the heating chamber comprises an inert atmosphere or reactive atmosphere.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the heating chamber such that:
the first temperature of the thermal shock is in a range of 1500-3000 K, and
the first time is in a range of 1 millisecond to 1 second.

8. A system comprising:
a heating chamber configured to apply a thermal shock to one or more solution-based salt precursors by heating at a first temperature for a first time and subsequently quenching at a cooling rate;
a first storage roll from which a continuous substrate is dispensed;
a first container storing the one or more solution-based salt precursors therein; and
a controller operatively coupled to the heating chamber and configured to control operation thereof to apply the thermal shock to the one or more solution-based salt precursors,
wherein the controller is configured to control the heating chamber such that:
the first temperature of the thermal shock is in a range of 500-3000 K,
the first time is in a range of 1 millisecond to 1 minute, and
the cooling rate is in a range of 10 K/s to 10 6 K/s, and

consecutive portions of the continuous substrate are conveyed from the first storage roll to the first container prior to the heating chamber so as to deposit the one or more solution-based salt precursors on respective surfaces of the consecutive portions of the continuous substrate.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a drying vessel configured to reduce moisture content of the substrate and the one or more solution-based salt precursors thereon.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to control the heating chamber such that:
the first temperature of the thermal shock is in a range of 1500-3000 K, and
the first time is in a range of 1 millisecond to 1 second.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to control the heating chamber such that the heating chamber is heated at a heating rate to the first temperature prior to the first time, and the heating rate is in a range of 10 K/s to 10 6 K/s.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the heating chamber comprises one or more Joule heating elements, each Joule heating element being formed of conductive carbon.

13. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a second storage roll onto which the consecutive portions of the continuous substrate from the heating chamber are collected, the consecutive portions of the continuous substrate from the heating chamber having nanoparticle formed thereon.

14. A system comprising:
a heating chamber configured to apply a thermal shock to one or more precursors by heating at a first temperature for a first time and subsequently quenching at a cooling rate;
a substrate constructed to have the one or more precursors disposed thereon and configured to move through the heating chamber with the one or more precursors disposed thereon; and
a controller operatively coupled to the heating chamber and the substrate, the controller being configured to control operation of the heating chamber and the substrate to apply the thermal shock to the one or more precursors,
wherein the controller is configured to control the heating chamber such that:
the first temperature of the thermal shock is in a range of 500-3000 K,
the first time is in a range of 1 millisecond to 1 minute, and
the cooling rate is in a range of 10 K/s to 10 6 K/s, and

the controller is further configured to control movement of the substrate such that quenching of the thermal shock is performed by moving the substrate from the heating chamber.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to control the heating chamber such that:
the first temperature of the thermal shock is in a range of 1500-3000 K, and
the first time is in a range of 1 millisecond to 1 second.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to control the heating chamber such that the heating chamber is heated at a heating rate to the first temperature prior to the first time, and the heating rate is in a range of 10 K/s to 10 6 K/s.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the heating chamber comprises one or more Joule heating elements, each Joule heating element being formed of conductive carbon.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the substrate is formed of carbon or oxygenated carbon.

Assignees

• Univ Maryland

Inventors

• Yao Yonggang
• Hu Liangbing

Classifications

• C22F1/002 Primary

  by rapid cooling or quenching; cooling agents used therefor · CPC title

• B22F9/24

  starting from liquid metal compounds, e.g. solutions · CPC title

• C22F1/10

  of nickel or cobalt or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• C22F1/14

  of noble metals or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title