Synthesis of metal alloy nanoparticles via a new reagent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9278392-B2
Application number	US-201314046129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2013
Priority date	Oct 4, 2013
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

Methods for producing nanoparticles of metal alloys and the nanoparticles so produced are provided. The methods include addition of surfactant and cationic metal to a novel reagent complex between zero-valent metal and a hydride. The nanoparticles of zero-valent metal alloys produced by the method include ˜7 nm zero-valent manganese-bismuth useful in fabricating a less expensive permanent magnet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for synthesizing metal alloy nanoparticles, comprising:
adding surfactant and a cationic metal to a reagent complex having a formula,
M 0 ·X y ,

wherein M 0 is a zero-valent metal, X is a hydride, and y is an integral or fractional value greater than zero.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the reagent complex is in suspended contact with a solvent.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the solvent is an ethereal solvent.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the ethereal solvent is tetrahydrofuran.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the cationic metal is added simultaneous with or prior to the surfactant.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the zero-valent metal is a zero-valent transition metal.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the zero-valent transition metal is a period 4 zero-valent transition metal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the cationic metal is a cationic post-transition metal.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the cationic metal is cationic bismuth.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the surfactant comprises a nitrile.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the surfactant comprises heptylcyanide.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydride is a complex hydride.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the hydride is a borohydride.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the hydride is lithium borohydride.

15. A method for synthesizing metal alloy nanoparticles, comprising:
adding surfactant and a cationic metal to a reagent complex having a formula:
Mn 0 ·X y ,

wherein Mn 0 is zero-valent manganese, X is a hydride, and y is an integral or fractional value greater than zero.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the complex has an x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy peak centered at about 636 eV.

17. A method for synthesizing metal alloy nanoparticles, comprising:
ball-milling a mixture that includes a hydride and a preparation containing a zero-valent metal to form a reagent complex having a formula:
M 0 ·X y ,

wherein M 0 is the zero-valent metal, X is the hydride, and y is an integral or fractional value greater than zero; and
adding surfactant and a cationic metal to the reagent complex.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the hydride is a complex hydride.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the hydride is a borohydride.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the hydride is lithium borohydride.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the preparation containing a zero-valent metal is a preparation of manganese.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the hydride and the preparation containing a zero-valent metal are mixed in a stoichiometric ratio of hydride molecules to zero-valent metal atoms of about 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, or intermediate ratios.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Rowe Michael Paul
• Herrera Daniel Jeffrey

Classifications

• B22F1/054

  Nanosized particles · CPC title

• B82Y30/00

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

• Y10S977/896

  Chemical synthesis, e.g. chemical bonding or breaking · CPC title

• Y10T428/2982

  Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.] · CPC title

• Y10S977/773

  Nanoparticle, i.e. structure having three dimensions of 100 nm or less · CPC title