Nano-skeletal catalyst

1. A method of producing a catalyst material with nano-scale structure, the method comprising:

providing a starting powder into a nano-powder production reactor, the starting powder comprising a catalyst material;

nano-sizing the starting powder by using a plasma flow in the nano-powder production reactor, thereby producing a nano-powder from the starting powder, the nano-powder comprising a plurality of nano-particles, each nano-particle comprising the catalyst material;

forming a catalyst precursor material from the nano-powder, wherein the catalyst precursor material is a densified bulk porous structure comprising the catalyst material, the catalyst material having a nano-scale structure, wherein the bulk porous structure of the catalyst precursor material further comprises a filler material; and

further comprising removing a substantial portion of the filler material from the bulk structure of the catalyst precursor to form a nano-scale skeletal structure comprising the catalyst material, such that the catalyst material is activated to form a nano-skeletal catalyst.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of nano-sizing the starting powder includes:

generating the plasma flow within the nano-powder production reactor; and

applying the plasma flow to the starting powder.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a catalyst precursor material includes pressing the nano-powder.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a catalyst precursor material includes bonding the nano-powder using spark plasma sintering, thereby preserving the nano-scale structure of the catalyst material.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the starting powder has an average grain size greater than or equal to 1 micron.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst material comprises a metal of the transition group VIII of the periodic table of elements.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the metal comprises nickel.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the metal comprises iron.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the metal comprises cobalt.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filler material comprises aluminum.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filler material comprises zinc.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filler material comprises silicon.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of removing the filler material is performed by using a leaching solution.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the catalyst precursor material includes adding a promoter material to the bulk porous structure, the promoter material comprising at least one of zinc, molybdenum and chromium.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the starting powder consists only of the catalyst material.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of nano-sizing the starting powder includes:

generating the plasma flow within the nano-powder production reactor; and

applying the plasma flow to the starting powder.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of forming a catalyst precursor material includes pressing the nano-powder.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of forming a catalyst precursor material includes bonding the nano-powder using spark plasma sintering, thereby preserving the nano-scale structure of the catalyst material.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the starting powder has an average grain size greater than or equal to 1 micron.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of forming the catalyst precursor material includes adding a promoter material to the bulk porous structure, the promoter material comprising at least one of zinc, molybdenum and chromium.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the catalyst material comprises a metal of the transition group VIII of the periodic table of elements.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the metal comprises nickel.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the metal comprises iron.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the metal comprises cobalt.

25. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of removing surface contamination from the catalyst material.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the step of removing the surface contamination is performed by using an etching solution.

27. The method of claim 1 , wherein the starting powder comprises nickel.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the step of forming a catalyst precursor material includes bonding the nano-powder using spark plasma sintering, thereby preserving the nano-scale structure of the nano-particles.

29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising the step of removing surface contamination from the catalyst material.

30. The method of claim 27 , further comprising:

providing a filler powder into the nano-powder production reactor, the filler powder comprising aluminum.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the step of forming a catalyst precursor material includes bonding the nano-powder using spark plasma sintering, thereby preserving the nano-scale structure of the nano-particles.

32. The method of claim 31 , further comprising removing a substantial portion of the aluminum from the bulk structure of the catalyst precursor material, thereby forming a nano-scale skeletal structure comprising the nickel, wherein the nickel is activated to form a nano-skeletal catalyst.

33. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nano-powder production reactor is coupled to a sampling device such that the nano-powder is exposed to the sampling device as the nano-powder is emitted from the nano-powder production reactor.

34. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nano-powder production reactor comprises one or more dispensing devices, each dispensing device coupled with a port that opens into the nano-powder production reactor.