Ultralight conductive metallic aerogels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11938545-B2
Application number	US-201816616260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2018
Priority date	Jun 23, 2017
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect of the presently disclosed inventive concepts, a metal aerogel includes a plurality of metal nanowires formed into a porous three-dimensional structure, where pores in the structure are anisotropic.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metal aerogel, comprising:
a plurality of metal nanowires formed into a porous three-dimensional structure, wherein the metal nanowires have welded junctions at intersections of the metal nanowires,
wherein pores in the structure are anisotropic.

2. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal aerogel is essentially free of nanoparticles.

3. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal nanowires are silver nanowires.

4. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal aerogel has electrical conductivity.

5. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein an electrical conductivity of the metal aerogel is at least about 35,000 siemens per meter (S/m).

6. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pores are primarily aligned along a longitudinal axis of the three-dimensional structure.

7. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pores are primarily aligned about perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the three-dimensional structure.

8. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pores of the structure have an average diameter in a range of 25 microns to about 1 micron.

9. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the pores of the structure have an average diameter in a range of about 1 micron to about 1000 microns.

10. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal aerogel is a metal foam.

11. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein a density of the metal aerogel is at least 4.8 milligrams per cubic centimeter (mg/cc).

12. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal aerogel has tensile elasticity, wherein the metal aerogel has a Young's modulus up to about 16,800 pascals (Pa).

13. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of metal nanowires comprises metal nanowires formed from at least one metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, and nickel.

14. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of metal nanowires comprises more than one type of metal nanowires.

15. A method of forming the metal aerogel as recited in claim 1 , the method comprising:
suspending a plurality of purified metal nanowires having a polymer coating in an aqueous solution thereby creating a suspension;
freeze casting the suspension;
lyophilizing the frozen suspension to a dry structure of metal nanowires; and
sintering the lyophilized structure of metal nanowires.

16. A metal aerogel, comprising:
a plurality of metal nanowires formed into a porous three-dimensional structure,
wherein the metal nanowires have welded junctions at intersections of the metal nanowires,
wherein pores in the structure are primarily aligned along a longitudinal axis of the three-dimensional structure.

17. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 16 , wherein the metal aerogel is essentially free of nanoparticles.

18. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 16 , wherein the metal nanowires are silver nanowires.

19. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 16 , wherein an electrical conductivity of the metal aerogel is at least about 35,000 siemens per meter (S/m).

20. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 16 , wherein the pores of the structure have an average diameter in a range of 25 microns to about 1 micron.

21. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 16 , wherein the pores of the structure have an average diameter in a range of about 1 micron to about 1000 microns.

22. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 16 , wherein a density of the metal aerogel is at least 4.8 milligrams per cubic centimeter (mg/cc).

23. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 16 , wherein the metal nanowires are essentially free of a polymer coating.

24. The metal aerogel as recited in claim 16 , wherein the axis of the pores is aligned along the longest length of the structure.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Qian Fang
• Han Thomas
• Worsley Marcus

Classifications

• B22F9/24 Primary

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

• B22F1/0547

  Nanofibres or nanotubes · CPC title

• C22C1/08

  Alloys with open or closed pores · CPC title

• H01B5/00

  Non-insulated conductors or conductive bodies characterised by their form · CPC title

• B22F2301/255

  Silver or gold · CPC title