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:
processing nanomaterials of a first aspect ratio by shear at a temperature greater than the softening temperature of the nanomaterials, wherein the temperature is between 0.2*T m and 0.95*T m , wherein T m is the melting point temperature of the nanomaterials in Kelvin; and
collecting nanomaterials with an aspect ratio different than the first aspect ratio.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the nanomaterials comprise an inorganic substance selected from the group consisting of: oxides, carbides, nitrides, chalcogenides, metals, and alloys.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the nanomaterials comprise a purity greater than 99.9% by metal basis.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing nanomaterials of a first aspect ratio, the providing comprising:
vaporizing at least one precursor in a thermal reactor; and
processing the at least one vaporized precursor under thermokinetic conditions that favor nucleation of solid nanopowder from the vaporized precursor.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
atomizing the at least one precursor before vaporizing the at least one precursor; and
quenching the solid nanopowder nucleated from the vaporized precursor.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanomaterials comprise inorganic nanoparticles having a mean particle size less than 250 nanometers.
7. A method for modifying the shape of nanomaterials comprising:
processing nanomaterials of a first aspect ratio by shear at a temperature greater than the softening temperature of the nanomaterials but less than a melting temperature of the nanomaterials; and
collecting nanomaterials with an aspect ratio different than the first aspect ratio.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising providing nanomaterials of a first aspect ratio, the providing comprising:
vaporizing at least one precursor in a thermal reactor; and
processing the at least one vaporized precursor under thermokinetic conditions that favor nucleation of solid nanopowder from the vaporized precursor.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
atomizing the at least one precursor before vaporizing the at least one precursor; and
quenching the solid nanopowder nucleated from the vaporized precursor.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the nanomaterials comprise inorganic nanoparticles having a mean particle size less than 250 nanometers.
11. A method for modifying the shape of nanomaterials comprising:
processing inorganic nanoparticles of a first aspect ratio and having a mean particle size less than 250 nanometers by shear at a temperature greater than the softening temperature of the nanoparticles but less than a melting temperature of the nanoparticles;
wherein the processing changes the aspect ratio of the nanoparticles.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the nanoparticles have a mean particle size less than 100 nanometers.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the temperature is between 0.2*T m and 0.95*T m wherein T m is the melting point of the nanoparticles in Kelvin.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise a substance selected from the group consisting of: oxides, carbides, nitrides, chalcogenides, metals, and alloys.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise a purity greater than 99.9% by metal basis.
16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing nanoparticles of a first aspect ratio, the providing comprising:
atomizing at least one precursor;
vaporizing the at least one precursor in a thermal reactor;
processing the at least one vaporized precursor under thermokinetic conditions that favor nucleation of solid nanoparticles from the vaporized precursor; and
quenching the solid nanoparticles nucleated from the vaporized precursor.