Methods for infusing one or more materials into nano-voids of nanoporous or nanostructured materials

1. A method of forming composite nanostructures with one or more nanomaterial, the method comprising:

providing a nanostructure material having a surface region and one or more nano-void regions within a first thickness in the surface region;

applying a fluid over the surface region of the nanostructure material;

maintaining the fluid at a first temperature lower than the freezing temperature of the fluid; and

subsequently applying an external energy to the fluid and/or the nanostructure material to drive in a portion of the fluid into one or more of the nano-void regions and cause the one or more nano-void regions to be substantially filled with the fluid and free from air gaps;

wherein the fluid comprises a precursor material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the precursor material is converted to a desired active material within the one or more nano-void regions at least by a process selected from thermal, electrical, optical, electro-chemical, mechanical, pressure, vacuum, or any one or more of these.

3. A method comprising:

providing a nanostructure material having one or more nano void regions;

exposing the nanostructure material to a fluid;

subjecting the fluid to a temperature below the melting point of the fluid; and

after the fluid has been subjected to the temperature below the melting point of the fluid, providing a vacuum that forces the fluid to substantially fill the one or more nano void regions with the fluid, so that the nano-void regions are substantially free from air gaps.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the fluid comprises a precursor material.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the precursor material is converted to a desired active material within the one or more nano void regions at least by a process selected from thermal, electrical, optical, electro-chemical, mechanical, pressure, or vacuum.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the precursor material comprises a colloid material suspended in a liquid.

7. A method of forming composite nanostructures with one or more nanomaterials comprising the following sequence of operations:

1) providing a nanostructure material having a surface region and one or more nano-void regions within a thickness of the nanostructure material;

2) applying a fluid to the surface region;

3) subjecting the nanostructure material including the fluid to a first temperature, the first temperature being lower than at least a freezing temperature of the fluid;

4) exposing the nanostructure material including the fluid to a vacuum environment while maintaining the nanostructure material at the first temperature;

5) increasing a temperature of the nanostructure material from the first temperature to a second temperature; and

6) driving the fluid into the one or more nano-void regions to substantially fill the one or more nano-void regions with the fluid free of air gap, wherein driving the fluid into the one or more nano-void regions is at least partially caused by the vacuum;

wherein the applying step is provided before the subjecting step.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the fluid comprises a precursor material.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the precursor material is converted to a solid material using a chemical process, an electrical process, an electrochemical process, a thermal process, a mechanical process, an optical process, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the second temperature ranges from about room temperature to about a boiling temperature of the fluid.