Metal oxide nanoparticles and process for producing the same
View Patent ↗There is disclosed a process for producing metal oxide nanoparticles. The process includes the steps of: a) providing at least two precursor metal salt materials, b) passing the at least two precursor metal salt materials through a plasma torch forming a vaporized material, and then c) condensing the vaporized material forming a metal oxide nanoparticle.
1. A process for producing metal oxide nanoparticles comprising the steps of:
a) providing at least two precursor metal salt materials;
b) passing the at least two precursor metal salt materials through a plasma torch forming a vaporized material;
c) condensing the vaporized material forming a metal oxide nanoparticle
wherein the metal oxide nanonarticle includes hollow particles, core-shell particles and particles having a variegated surface.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein the precursor metal salt material is selected from the group consisting of: salts of magnesium, aluminum, silicon, titanium, iron, copper, zinc, yttrium, zirconium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, or dysprosium.
3. The process of claim 2 wherein the salts comprise nitrates.
4. The process of claim 2 wherein the salts comprise acetates.
5. The process of claim 2 wherein the precursor metal salt material is a dry powder.
6. The process of claim 5 wherein the dry powder has a particle size of from 100 nm to 5 mm.
7. The process of claim 2 wherein the dry powder is formed from a solution of precipitated salts of the metal precursor followed by drying and crushing to form the dry powder.
8. The process of claim 2 wherein the precursor metal salt material is a liquid.
9. The process of claim 8 wherein the liquid includes the salt dissolved in a solvent.
10. The process of claim 9 wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of: water, organic non-polar liquids, organic polar liquids, ethers and acids.
11. The process of claim 1 wherein the metal precursor salt material is dispersed in a caner gas.
12. The process of claim 11 wherein the carrier gas is selected from the group consisting of: noble gases, oxygen, and nitrogen or mixtures thereof.
13. The process of claim 11 wherein the carrier gas has a flow rate of from 1 cm 3 /min to 10 L/min.
14. The process of claim I wherein the plasma is generated using a DC discharge, radio frequency energy or microwave energy.
15. The process of claim 1 wherein the plasma is generated using a power of from 200 to 100,000 Watts.
16. The process of claim 1 wherein The plasma torch has a temperature greater than 3000 degrees centigrade.
17. The process of claim 1 including the step of exposing the nanoparticles to a reducing atmosphere at an elevated temperature forming a perovskite material.
18. The process of claim 1 including the step of separating the nanoparticles into desired sizes.
19. The process of claim 1 wherein the nanopartiele has a surface area of from 1 M 2 /gram to 500 m 2 /gram.
20. The process of claim 1 wherein the precursor metal salt materials comprise a salt of aluminum and a salt of cerium.
21. The process of claim 20 wherein the particle formed has a core of cerium oxide surrounded by a shell of aluminum oxide.
22. The process of claim 21 wherein the particle formed has a variegated surface of cerium oxide and aluminum oxide.
23. The process of claim 1 wherein the precursor metal salt materials comprise a salt of aluminum, a salt of cerium, and a salt of zirconium.
24. The process of claim 23 wherein the nanoparticle formed has a core of cerium and zirconium oxide surrounded by a shell of aluminum oxide.
25. The process of claim 1 wherein the precursor metal salt materials comprise a salt of aluminum and a salt of titanium.
26. The process of claim 25 wherein the nanoparticle formed has a core of titanium oxide surrounded by a shell of aluminum oxide.
27. A metal oxide nanoparticle having a core and shell structure of at least two metals.
28. The metal oxide nanoparticle of claim 27 wherein the nanoparticle has a core of cerium oxide surrounded by a shell of aluminum oxide.
29. The metal oxide nanoparticle of claim 27 wherein the nanoparticle has a core of cerium oxide and zirconium oxide surrounded by a shell of aluminum oxide.
30. The metal oxide nanoparticte of claim 27 wherein the nanoparticle has a core of titanium oxide surrounded by a shell of aluminum oxide.
31. A metal oxide particle having a variegated surface of cerium oxide and aluminum oxide.