Shape engineering of nanoparticles
View Patent ↗Methods for preparing high aspect ratio nanomaterials from spherical nanomaterials useful for oxides, nitrides, carbides, borides, metals, alloys, chalcogenides, and other compositions.
1. A method for modifying the shape of nanomaterials comprising:
providing nanomaterials of a first aspect ratio;
mixing the nanomaterials with a catalyst;
processing the mixture at a temperature greater than 300 K; and
collecting nanomaterials with an aspect ratio different than the first aspect ratio.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the temperature is greater than 1000 K.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing is performed in a gas phase.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the catalyst causes the nanomaterials to dissolve and precipitate during the processing step.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the nanomaterials comprise a substance selected from the group consisting of: oxides, carbides, nitrides, chalcogenides, metals, and alloys.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the nanomaterials comprise a purity greater than 99.9% by metal basis.
7. A method for modifying the shape of nanomaterials comprising:
providing nanomaterials of a first aspect ratio;
depositing the nanomaterials in a template;
thermally processing the deposit at a temperature between 0.2*T m and 0.95T m , wherein T m is the melting point of the nanomaterials in Kelvin; and
collecting nanomaterials with an aspect ratio different than the first aspect ratio.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the template is selected from the group consisting of: anodized aluminum, anodized silicon, anodized metals, micro-machined templates, porous polymers, radiation templated polymers, zeolites and emulsion produced templates.
9. The method of claim 7 further comprising a step wherein the collection step comprises a step wherein the template is removed.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the nanomaterials comprise a substance selected from the group consisting of: oxides, carbides, nitrides, chalcogenides, metals, and alloys.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein the nanomaterials comprise a purity greater than 99.9% by metal basis.