Process for producing nanoparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9943840-B2
Application number	US-201314398604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2013
Priority date	May 4, 2012
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

This invention relates to a process for the preparation of surface-functionalised metal oxide, metal sulphide, metal selenide or metal telluride nanoparticles, a process for the preparation of a composite material comprising such nanoparticles, nanoparticles and a composite material produced thereby, the use of such nanoparticles in catalysis and a catalyst comprising such nanoparticles.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for the preparation of surface-functionalised metal oxide or metal chalcogenide nanoparticles, the process consisting of:
(a) providing a precursor mixture in a hydrocarbon solvent comprising a first organometallic precursor comprising a metal centre M and one or more hydrolysable organic ligands R a , and a source of a non-hydrolysable ligand X, wherein the molar loading, [X]/[M], within the precursor mixture is from 0.001 to 0.4;
wherein:
each R a is independently selected from the group consisting of optionally substituted aliphatic groups, aryl, aralkyl, amido, alkoxide, aryloxide, and thiolate;
each X is independently a ligand comprising a moiety selected from the group consisting of a carboxylate, a thio-carboxylate, a dithiocarboxylate, a sulphate, a sulfonate, a sulphinate, a phosphonate, a phosphinate, a halide, an amide, a carbonate, a dithiocarbonate, an amine, and a nitrate; and
M is selected from the group consisting of Zn, Al, Ti, Sn, Mg, Ca, Ga, Y, Sc, Zr, Ge, In, and lanthanides, or a mixture thereof;
and
(b) exposing the precursor mixture to H 2 E, wherein E is O, S, Se or Te, to produce surface-functionalised metal oxide or metal chalcogenide nanoparticles in solution.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein X is a carboxylate of formula OOCR b or a phosphinate of formula (O(O)PR b 2 ), wherein each R b is, independently, alkyl, aryl or aralkyl.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the source of ligand X is XH or an organometallic compound with metal centre M and one or more ligands X.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the molar loading [X]/[M] in the precursor mixture is from 0.001 to 0.35.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the precursor mixture further comprises a doping amount of a second metal, selected from the group consisting of Ga, Al, Li, Na, K, Cr, or a lanthanide, present at <10%, calculated on the basis of an atom% (in metal) in relation to total M in the precursor mixture.

Assignees

• Imperial Innovations Ltd

Inventors

• Shaffer Milo
• Williams Charlotte
• Orchard Katherine
• Brown Neil John
• Weiner Jonathan

Classifications

• C09C3/08 Primary

  Treatment with low-molecular-weight {non-polymer} organic compounds {(C09C3/006, C09C3/048 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B01J37/0072 Primary

  Preparation of particles, e.g. dispersion of droplets in an oil bath · CPC title

• B01J37/0009

  Use of binding agents; Moulding; Pressing; Powdering; Granulating; Addition of materials ameliorating the mechanical properties of the product catalyst · CPC title

• C01P2002/82

  by IR- or Raman-data · CPC title

• C07C29/154

  containing copper, silver, gold, or compounds thereof · CPC title