Composite nanoparticles and methods of preparation thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016343487-A1
Application number	US-201514715704-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2015
Priority date	May 19, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention is directed to composite nanoparticles comprising a metal, a rare earth element, and, optionally, a complexing ligand. The invention is also directed to composite nanoparticles having a core-shell structure and to processes for preparation of composite nanoparticles of the invention.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A composite nanoparticle comprising a metal, a rare earth element, and a complexing ligand of formula (I):

wherein
R 1 is H, alkyl, arylalkyl, or aryl;
R 2 is H, alkyl, arylalkyl, or aryl;
R 3 is alkylene, -alkylene-arylene-, arylene, or alkylene substituted with alkyl or aryl;
R 4 is alkylene, -alkylene-arylene-, arylene, or alkylene substituted with alkyl or aryl;
R 5 is H, alkyl, arylalkyl, or aryl;
Z is —O—, —S—, —N(H)—, or —N(R 6 )—, wherein R 6 is alkyl; and
n is 0 or 1.

2 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein the metal is a transition metal or a post-transition metal.

3 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, platinum, aluminum, copper, zirconium, and chromium.

4 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein the rare earth element is selected from the group consisting of samarium, praseodymium, neodymium, gadolinium, yttrium, dysprosium, and terbium.

5 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein the metal is cobalt and the rare earth element is samarium.

6 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein the rare earth to the metal element stoichiometric ratio in the composite nanoparticle is selected from the group consisting of 1:1, 1:3, 1:5, 1:7, 1:13, 2:7, 2:17, and 5:19.

7 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 1 , wherein the complexing ligand is selected from the group consisting of 2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]ethanol, 2-[2-(diethylamino)ethoxy]ethanol, 2-{[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]methylamino}ethanol, and 4-(dimethylamino)-1-butanol.

8 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 1 having a mean diameter size from about 2 nm to about 500 nm.

9 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 1 having an aspect ratio from 1 to 1000.

10 . A composite nanoparticle comprising a core nanoparticle and a shell layer substantially encapsulating the core nanoparticle;
the core nanoparticle consisting essentially of a metal or a rare earth element; the shell layer consisting essentially of a metal or a rare earth element; wherein, when the core nanoparticle consists essentially of the metal, the shell layer consists essentially of the rare earth element; and wherein, when the core nanoparticle consists essentially of the rare earth element, the shell layer consists essentially of the metal.

11 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 10 , wherein the metal is a transition metal or a post-transition metal.

12 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 10 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, platinum, aluminum, copper, zirconium, and chromium.

13 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 10 , wherein the rare earth element is selected from the group consisting of samarium, praseodymium, neodymium, gadolinium, yttrium, dysprosium, and terbium.

14 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 10 , wherein the metal is cobalt and the rare earth element is samarium.

15 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 10 , wherein the rare earth to the metal element stoichiometric ratio in the composite nanoparticle is selected from the group consisting of 1:1, 1:3, 1:5, 1:7, 1:13, 2:7, 2:17, and 5:19.

16 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 10 , further comprising a complexing ligand layer located between the core nanoparticle and the shell layer, the complexing ligand layer comprising a complexing ligand of formula (I):

wherein
R 1 is H, alkyl, arylalkyl, or aryl;
R 2 is H, alkyl, arylalkyl, or aryl;
R 3 is alkylene, -alkylene-arylene-, arylene, or alkylene substituted with alkyl or aryl;
R 4 is alkylene, -alkylene-arylene-, arylene, or alkylene substituted with alkyl or aryl;
R 5 is H, alkyl, arylalkyl, or aryl;
Z is —O—, —S—, —N(H)—, or —N(R 6 )—, wherein R 6 is alkyl; and
n is 0 or 1.

17 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 16 , wherein the complexing ligand is selected from the group consisting of 2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]ethanol, 2-[2-(diethylamino)ethoxy]ethanol, 2-{[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]methylamino}ethanol, and 4-(dimethylamino)-1-butanol.

18 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 10 , wherein the core nanoparticle is consisting essentially of cobalt and the shell layer is consisting essentially of samarium.

19 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 18 , wherein a complexing ligand layer is located between the core nanoparticle and the shell layer, the complexing ligand layer comprising a complexing ligand, wherein the complexing ligand is 2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]ethanol.

20 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 10 , wherein the core nanoparticle is consisting essentially of samarium and the shell layer is consisting essentially of cobalt.

21 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 20 , wherein a complexing ligand layer is located between the core nanoparticle and the shell layer, the complexing ligand layer comprising a complexing ligand, wherein the complexing ligand is 2-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]ethanol.

22 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 10 having a mean diameter size from about 2 nm to about 500 nm.

23 . The composite nanoparticle of claim 10 having an aspect ratio from 1 to 1000.

24 . A process for preparation of composite nanoparticles in an electrochemical cell comprising a first sacrificial anode, a second sacrificial anode, a cathode, and a reaction solution, the process comprising:
(a) applying an electric current to the first sacrificial anode and to the cathode, wherein the first sacrificial anode is a metal anode or a rare earth element anode; (b) applying an electric current to the second sacrificial anode and to the cathode, wherein the second sacrificial anode is a metal anode or a rare earth element anode; provided that when the first sacrificial anode is the metal anode, the second sacrificial anode is the rare earth element anode; and provided that when the first sacrificial anode is the rare earth element anode, the second sacrificial anode is the metal anode; wherein the reaction solution comprises an organic solvent, an electrolyte, and a complexing ligand; whereby composite nanoparticles are formed in the reaction solution.

25 . The process of claim 24 , further comprising collecting the composite nanoparticles from the reaction solution.

26 . The process of claim 25 , further comprising performing heat treatment of the composite nanoparticles.

27 . The process of claim 24 , wherein step (b) is performed subsequently to step (a).

28 . The process of claim 24 , wherein step (a) and step (b) are performed concurrently.

29 . The process of claim 24 , wherein the metal anode is a transition metal anode or a post-transition metal anode.

30 . The process of claim 24 , wherein the metal anode is selected from the group consisting of iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, platinum, aluminum, copper, zirconium, and chromium anodes.

31 . The process of claim 24 , wherein the rare earth element anode is selected from the group consisting of samarium, praseodymium, neodymium, gadolinium, yttrium, dysprosiu

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Kandapallil Binil Itty Ipe
• Krishnan Lakshmi
• Johnson Francis

Classifications

• H01F1/42 Primary

  of organic or organo-metallic materials {, e.g. graphene}(H01F1/44 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C25B3/00 Primary

  Electrolytic production of organic compounds · CPC title

• C25B3/13

  Organo-metallic compounds · CPC title

• C25B15/02 Primary

  Process control or regulation · CPC title

• H01F1/0054

  Coated nanoparticles, e.g. nanoparticles coated with organic surfactant · CPC title