Nanocomposite and method of making thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9287119-B2
Application number	US-201213446289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 13, 2012
Priority date	Oct 14, 2009
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

An embodiment of an inorganic nanocomposite includes a nanoparticle phase and a matrix phase. The nanoparticle phase includes nanoparticles that are arranged in a repeating structure. In an embodiment, the nanoparticles have a spherical or pseudo-spherical shape and are incompatible with hydrazine. In another embodiment, the nanoparticles have neither a spherical nor pseudo-spherical shape. The matrix phase lies between the nanoparticles of the nanoparticle phase. An embodiment of a method of making an inorganic nanocomposite of the present invention includes forming a nanoparticle superlattice on a substrate. The nanoparticle superlattice includes nanoparticles. Each nanoparticle has organic ligands attached to a surface of the nanoparticle. The organic ligands separate adjacent nanoparticles within the nanoparticle superlattice. The method also includes forming a solution that includes an inorganic precursor. The nanoparticle superlattice is placed in the solution for a sufficient time for the inorganic precursor to replace the organic ligands.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inorganic nanocomposite comprising:
a nanoparticle phase comprising nanoparticles arranged in a repeating structure; and
an inorganic matrix phase between the nanoparticles of the nanoparticle phase,
wherein the nanoparticle phase comprises a transparent conducting metal oxide and the matrix phase comprises a metal oxide, and wherein the inorganic nanocomposite is part of an electrochromic device.

2. The inorganic nanocomposite of claim 1 wherein the repeating structure is a close packed structure.

3. The inorganic nanocomposite of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles comprise nanoparticles that have a spherical or pseudo-spherical shape.

4. The inorganic nanocomposite of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles are aligned nanoparticles selected from the group consisting of nanorods, nanowires, and tetrapods.

5. The inorganic nanocomposite of claim 1 wherein the transparent conducting oxide of the nanoparticles comprises a metal selected from the group comprising Sn, Zn, and W.

6. The inorganic nanocomposite of claim 1 further comprising a substrate attached to the inorganic matrix phase.

7. The inorganic nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the repeating structure has three-dimensional ordering.

8. The inorganic nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic matrix phase comprises a polyoxometalate.

9. The inorganic nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic nanocomposite is formed from:
a superlattice of the nanoparticles arranged in the repeating structure, each nanoparticle having organic ligands attached to a surface; and
a solution containing the metal oxide of the inorganic matrix phase, wherein the metal oxide replaces the organic ligands.

10. The electrochromic device comprising the inorganic nanocomposite of claim 1 .

11. A window coating comprising the electrochromic device of claim 10 .

Assignees

• Tangirala Ravisubhash
• Milliron Delia J
• Llordes Anna
• Univ California

Inventors

• Tangirala Ravisubhash
• Milliron Delia J
• Llordes Anna

Classifications

• H10P14/3451 Primary

  Structure · CPC title

• H10F77/1437

  Quantum wires or nanorods · CPC title

• H10F10/167

  comprising Group I-III-VI materials, e.g. CdS/CuInSe2 [CIS] heterojunction photovoltaic cells · CPC title

• C01B19/002

  Compounds containing, besides selenium or tellurium, more than one other element, with -O- and -OH not being considered as anions · CPC title

• H01L31/0749

  Electricity · mapped topic