Method of fabrication of anchored nanostructure materials
View Patent ↗Methods for fabricating anchored nanostructure materials are described. The methods include heating a nano-catalyst under a protective atmosphere to a temperature ranging from about 450° C. to about 1500° C. and contacting the heated nano-catalysts with an organic vapor to affix carbon nanostructures to the nano-catalysts and form the anchored nanostructure material.
1. A method of producing an anchored nanostructure material comprising:
(a) etching a substrate with an etchant to produce metal ions adjacent the surface of the substrate;
(c) exposing the metal ions to hydrogen to reduce the metal ions and produce nano-catalysts;
(d) heating the nano-catalysts under a protective atmosphere to a temperature ranging from about 450° C. to about 1500° C.; and
(e) contacting the heated nano-catalysts with an organic vapor to affix carbon nanostructures to the nano-catalysts and form the anchored nanostructure material.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) comprises flowing the organic vapor proximal to the heated nano-catalysts at a rate ranging from about 100 cc/minute to about 10 L/minute.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) comprises exposing the heated nano-catalysts to the organic vapor at a process pressure of ranging from about 1 torr to about 1000 torr.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps:
(e) cooling the anchored nanostructure material under a protective atmosphere to a temperature at which the anchored nanostructure material does not significantly oxidize in an ambient atmosphere; and
(f) discontinuing the protective atmosphere and providing access to the anchored nanostructure material in the ambient atmosphere.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) further comprises drying the substrate in the presence of the etchant wherein nano-size deposits comprising the metal ions are deposited adjacent the surface of the substrate.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) further comprises exposing the heated nano-catalysts to hydrogen while contacting the heated nano-catalysts with the organic vapor.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises nickel and wherein the etchant is selected from the group consisting of an aqueous solution of a chloride salt of aluminum, dilute hydrochloric acid, and combinations thereof.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises nickel and wherein the etchant is selected from the group consisting of an aqueous solution of a nitrate salt of aluminum, dilute nitric acid, and combinations thereof.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises nickel in the form of nickel aluminide and wherein the etchant is selected from the group consisting of an aqueous solution of a chloride salt of aluminum, dilute hydrochloric acid, and combinations thereof.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises nickel in the form of nickel aluminide and wherein the etchant is selected from the group consisting of an aqueous solution of a nitrate salt of aluminum, dilute nitric acid, and combinations thereof.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising disposing a coupling agent on the surface of the substrate to facilitate binding of the metal ions to the substrate.
12. The method of claim 1 further comprising disposing a chelating agent on the surface of the substrate to facilitate binding of the metal ions to the substrate.