High aspect ratio nanostructures and methods of preparation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017120295-A1
Application number	US-201515318911-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 19, 2015
Priority date	Jun 19, 2014
Publication date	May 4, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Metal nanomaterials and nano structures may be formed via shearing force in the presence of a reactant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A process for preparing a nanostructure comprising:
adding a metal to a reaction solution; forming a metal oxide on a metal surface; shearing off metal oxide particles from the metal surface; allowing the sheared metal oxide particles to self-assemble into nanomaterials; and casting the self-assembled nanomaterials on a substrate to form the nanostructure.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein adding the metal comprises adding gallium or alloys thereof.

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein adding the metal comprises adding the metal in a liquid state.

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein forming a metal oxide comprises forming a metal oxide having the following formula:
M n O x C y H z wherein M is a metal and n, x, y, and z are integers.

5 . The process of claim 4 , wherein M is gallium.

6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the reaction solution comprises acetic acid.

7 . The process of claim 6 , wherein the sheared metal oxide particles comprise an adsorbed acetate layer.

8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the reaction solution comprises an acetic acid solution having a concentration of acetic acid in the range of 1 percent to 10 percent by volume.

9 . The process of claim 8 , wherein the reaction solution comprises an acetic acid solution having a concentration of acetic acid in the range of 1 percent to 5 percent by volume.

10 . The process of claim 1 , wherein forming the metal oxide on the surface comprises allowing the metal to react with the reaction solution for 2 to 24 hours prior to shearing.

11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein forming the metal oxide on the metal surface takes place at a temperature of about 90° C. to about 150° C.

12 . The process of claim 1 , wherein forming the metal oxide on the metal surface takes place at a temperature of about 20° C. to about 100° C.

13 . The process of claim 12 , wherein forming a metal oxide on the metal surface takes place at a temperature of about 20° C. to about 30° C.

14 . The process of claim 1 , wherein shearing off metal oxide particles comprises stiffing the metal oxide in the reaction solution with an apparatus that creates centrifugal shear force.

15 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the self-assembled nanomaterials have a thickness in the range of about 5 nanometers to about 5 microns.

16 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the self-assembled nanomaterials have a thickness in the range of about 150 nanometers to about 400 nanometers.

17 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures have a high aspect ratio of length to thickness that is greater than about 1000 to 1.

18 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises silicon.

19 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising subjecting the nanostructure to post-assembly modification.

20 . A nanostructure prepared by the method of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Univ Massachusetts

Inventors

• Thuo Martin
• Tevis Ian

Classifications

• B22F1/0547

  Nanofibres or nanotubes · CPC title

• C01P2004/04

  obtained by TEM, STEM, STM or AFM · CPC title

• C01G15/00

  Compounds of gallium, indium or thallium · CPC title

• C01G29/006

  Compounds containing bismuth, with or without oxygen or hydrogen, and containing two or more other elements · CPC title

• B01J2/24

  Obtaining flakes by scraping a solid layer from a surface · CPC title