Porous substrates, articles, systems and compositions comprising nanofibers and methods of their use and production
Porous and/or curved nanofiber bearing substrate materials are provided having enhanced surface area for a variety of applications including as electrical substrates, semipermeable membranes and barriers, structural lattices for tissue culturing and for composite materials, production of long unbranched nanofibers, and the like. A method of producing nanofibers is disclosed including providing a plurality of microparticles or nanoparticles such as carbon black particles having a catalyst material deposited thereon, and synthesizing a plurality of nanofibers from the catalyst material on the microparticles or nanoparticles. Compositions including carbon black particles having nanowires deposited thereon are further disclosed.
1 . A method of producing nanofibers, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of microparticles or nanoparticles having a catalyst material deposited thereon; and
synthesizing a plurality of nanofibers from the catalyst material on the microparticles or nanoparticles.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanofibers comprise nanowires.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein synthesizing the plurality of nanowires comprises:
depositing a gold colloid on at least a portion of the overall surface area of the microparticles or nanoparticles; and
growing the nanowires from the gold colloid with a VLS synthesis technique.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microparticles or nanoparticles comprise carbon black particles.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the microparticles or nanoparticles comprise glass or quartz microspheres.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanofibers comprises a semiconductor material selected from group IV, group II-VI and group III-V semiconductors.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanofibers are comprised of silicon or silicon oxide.
8 - 10 . (canceled)
11 . A composition comprising: a population of substrates, wherein the substrates each comprise a carbon particle; and a population of nanowires deposited each individual carbon particle substrate.
12 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the composition is conductive.
13 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the nanowires are comprised of silicon or silicon oxide.
14 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the substrates are porous.
15 . The composition of claim 11 , further comprising one or more catalyst particles deposited on the carbon particle substrates.
16 . The composition of claim 15 , wherein the one or more catalyst particles comprise metal.
17 . The composition of claim 16 , wherein the metal comprises gold or platinum.
18 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the carbon particles are suspended in a colloidal solution.
19 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the carbon particles are spherical.
20 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the carbon particles are microparticles or nanoparticles.
21 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein one or more surfaces of the carbon particles are curved.
22 . The composition of claim 15 , wherein the catalyst particles are deposited on multiple surfaces of the carbon particles.
23 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the nanowires are grown in situ on the carbon particles.
24 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the carbon particles comprise carbon black.