Nanowire bundle array, membrane including the same, method of manufacturing the membrane, and steam generator using the membrane

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017146263-A1
Application number	US-201615335821-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2016
Priority date	Nov 20, 2015
Publication date	May 25, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed is a nanowire bundle array. Particularly, the nanowire bundle array according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of nanowire assemblies arranged therein. Each of the nanowire assemblies includes nanowires, a surface of at least a portion of which is coated with a thin metal film and the widths between the nanowires gradually decrease from one end to another end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A nanowire bundle array, wherein a plurality of nanowire assemblies is arranged in the nanowire bundle array, wherein each of the nanowire assemblies comprises a plurality of nanowires, wherein at least a portion of the nanowires is coated with a thin metal film and widths between the nanowires decrease from one ends part of the nanowires to another end part of the nanowires.

2 . The nanowire bundle array according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the nanowire assembly is spaced from another nanowire assembly by a predetermined interval.

3 . The nanowire bundle array according to claim 1 , wherein the nanowires comprise:
a nanowire body part made of an alumina material; and a thin metal film comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, titanium, nickel, aluminum, palladium, platinum, titanium oxide, and titanium nitride.

4 . The nanowire bundle array according to claim 1 , wherein each of nanowires comprised in the nanowire assembly is collapsed in a predetermined direction and supported by neighboring nanowires.

5 . The nanowire bundle array according to claim 1 , wherein the nanowire is bound to any one of the nanowires comprised in the nanowire assembly by capillary force of a liquid present between the nanowires.

6 . The nanowire bundle array according to claim 1 , wherein the nanowires are bound at one end of the nanowire assembly and spaced from each other at another end of the nanowire assembly.

7 . The nanowire bundle array according to claim 6 , wherein an upper part of the nanowire assembly forms an upwardly protruding peak and a dented valley is formed between any one of the nanowire assemblies and another neighboring nanowire assembly.

8 . The nanowire bundle array according to claim 1 , wherein the nanowires comprised in the nanowire assembly are made of a flexible material, at least a portion of at least one of the nanowires is bent, and, in the bent state, the nanowire is bound to another nanowire.

9 . The nanowire bundle array according to claim 1 , wherein the nanowire assembly forms a funnel structure,
intervals between the nanowires of the nanowire assembly are formed at nanoscale, and the nanowire assembly is formed to a microscale height and width and a plurality of the nanowire assemblies is disposed in the nanowire bundle array.

10 . The nanowire bundle array according to claim 9 , wherein intervals between the nanowires are less than 500 nm, a height of the nanowire assembly is 100 nm to 30 μm, and intervals between the nanowire assemblies are 1 μm to 70 μm.

11 . The nanowire bundle array according to claim 1 , wherein light from a visible light area to an infrared light area is absorbed and thus light appears black and, when light is irradiated, heat is generated by surface plasmon resonance heating.

12 . The nanowire bundle array according to claim 11 , wherein the nanowire assemblies are spaced at a predetermined interval and formed in a vertical direction, and the nanowire assemblies, which locate at one and another sides, of the nanowire assembly are collapsed and, accordingly, bind with other nanowire assemblies.

13 . A nanowire bundle array, comprising:
a base substrate; and a plurality of nanowire assemblies arranged on the base substrate, wherein at least a portion of a surface of each of the nanowire assemblies comprises a plurality of nanowires coated with a thin metal film, wherein widths between the nanowires decrease from one end to another end.

14 . The nanowire bundle array according to claim 13 , wherein, when an adhesive substrate is attached to an upper part of the nanowire assembly, the nanowire assembly is removable from the base substrate.

15 . A membrane, comprising:
a porous support; and nanowire assemblies, each of which comprises a plurality of nanowires and which have a shape wherein widths between the nanowires gradually decrease from one end to another end, wherein a plurality of the nanowire assembly is disposed at microscale, thereby forming a nanowire bundle array, wherein the nanowires are supported by the porous support and at least a portion of the nanowires is coated with a thin metal film.

16 . The membrane according to claim 15 , wherein the supporter comprises microchannels through which a fluid flows and, when light is irradiated to the nanowire bundle array, the fluid transferred to the nanowire bundle array via the microchannels is heated.

17 . The membrane according to claim 15 , wherein an adhesive material is provided on at least one side of the supporter and the nanowires bundle is attached to the supporter by the adhesive material.

18 . A steam generator, comprising:
a body part in which water is contained and one side of which is opened such that outside light is irradiated to the water; and a membrane comprising a plurality of nanowire assemblies, each of the nanowire assemblies comprising a plurality of nanowires and the nanowire assemblies being disposed at microscale to form a nanowire bundle array, wherein the nanowires float on water contained in the body part, at least a portion of the nanowires is coated with a thin metal film, and widths between the nanowires are decreased from one end to another end.

19 . The steam generator according to claim 18 , wherein an insulating member is provided around the body part to prevent heat loss.

20 . A method of manufacturing a membrane, the method comprising:
electropolishing a base substrate; anodizing the base substrate to form at least one nanowire on the base substrate; expanding pores of the at least one nanowire; forming a nanowire bundle array comprising nanowire assemblies having a shape wherein widths are decreased from one end to another end by controlling self-aggregation of the pore-expanded at least one nanowire; depositing a metal on the nanowire bundle array formed on the base substrate; and separating the nanowire bundle array from the base substrate using a porous adhesive mean and thus completing a membrane.

Assignees

• Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation Yonsei Univ

Inventors

• Kim Kyoung Sik
• Bae Kyu Young
• Kang Gu Min

Classifications

• C25D11/24

  Chemical after-treatment · CPC title

• C25D11/045

  for forming AAO templates · CPC title

• C25D1/08

  Perforated or foraminous objects, e.g. sieves (C25D1/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B82Y20/00

  Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals · CPC title

• C23C28/345

  with at least one oxide layer · CPC title