Nanodevices for generating power from molecules and batteryless sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9537157-B2
Application number	US-201514695354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2015
Priority date	Oct 22, 2009
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A nanoconverter or nanosensor is disclosed capable of directly generating electricity through physisorption interactions with molecules that are dipole containing organic species in a molecule interaction zone. High surface-to-volume ratio semiconductor nanowires or nanotubes (such as ZnO, silicon, carbon, etc.) are grown either aligned or randomly-aligned on a substrate. Epoxy or other nonconductive polymers are used to seal portions of the nanowires or nanotubes to create molecule noninteraction zones. By correlating certain molecule species to voltages generated, a nanosensor may quickly identify which species is detected. Nanoconverters in a series parallel arrangement may be constructed in planar, stacked, or rolled arrays to supply power to nano- and micro-devices without use of external batteries. In some cases breath, from human or other life forms, contain sufficient molecules to power a nanoconverter. A membrane permeable to certain molecules around the molecule interaction zone increases specific molecule nanosensor selectivity response.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of constructing a nanoconverter, comprising:
providing a substrate;
growing one or more nanostructures on the substrate;
permeating the nanostructures with a sealant to form a molecule noninteraction zone around the nanostructures;
selectively etching the molecule noninteraction zone around the nanostructures to form a molecule interaction zone; and
electrically connecting the nanostructures at two ends, wherein the two ends have disposed between them the molecule interaction zone and the molecule noninteraction zone.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
exposing the molecule interaction zone to one or more molecules, thereby generating electrical power.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein within the molecule noninteraction zone the nanostructures are substantially incapable of interaction with molecules.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures are selected from a group consisting of: a nanotube, a nanowire, a nanosheet, and a nanoribbon.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures are selected from a group consisting of: a ZnO nanowire, a silicon nanowire, a carbon nanotube, and a semiconductor nanostructure.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the nanostructures are aligned or randomly aligned.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein the nanostructures generate the electrical power through physisorption of the molecules onto the nanostructures.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the molecules originate from a source selected from a group consisting of: an exhalation, a gas, and a liquid.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the exhalation originates from a source selected from a group consisting of: human breath, non-human animal breath, bacterial outgas, and plant outgas.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein the molecules are dipole containing organic species.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein the molecules are selected from a group of dipole containing organic species consisting of: alcohols, amines, amides, carboxylic acids, esters, furans, pyridines, aldehydes, ketones, sulfoxides, carbohydrates, and similar or equivalent dipole containing species.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein the molecules are selected from a group of molecules consisting of: methanol, ethanol, toluene, trichoromethane, n-butanol, 1-propanol, 1-octanol, tetrahydrofuran, pyridine, acetone, N,N-dimethyacetamide, N,N-dimethyformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, glucose, and their combinations.

13. The method of claim 2 , wherein the molecules are substantially polar.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molecule noninteraction zone sealant is permeated by a sealant selected from the group of sealants consisting of: epoxy and poly(vinyl chloride-co-vinyl-co-2-hydroxypropyl acrylate) (PVC) polymer.

15. A method of constructing a nanoconverter, comprising:
(a) providing a nanostructure, comprising:
(i) a molecule interaction zone that interacts with molecules in a molecule interaction zone to generate power; and
(ii) a molecule noninteraction zone wherein molecules do not interact with the nanostructure;

(b) providing a permeable membrane, permeable to the molecule, that surrounds the molecule interaction zone;
(c) wherein the permeable membrane preferentially allows transmission of a specific molecule; and
(d) providing a sealant matrix that surrounds at least a portion of the nanostructure;
(e) wherein the surrounded portion of the nanostructure forms the molecule noninteraction zone.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the molecules are dipole containing organic species.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the molecules are selected from a group of dipole containing organic species consisting of: alcohols, amines, amides, carboxylic acids, esters, furans, pyridines, aldehydes, ketones, sulfoxides, carbohydrates, and similar or equivalent dipole containing species.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Wang Yinmin
• Wang Xianying
• Hamza Alex V

Classifications

• H01M8/0289

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• H01M8/22

  Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising carbon or oxygen or hydrogen and other elements; Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising only elements other than carbon, oxygen or hydrogen · CPC title

• B82Y15/00

  Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors · CPC title

• H01M8/0284

  Organic resins; Organic polymers · CPC title

• H02N11/002

  Generators · CPC title