Aluminosilicate nanorods
View Patent ↗Nanostructured aluminosilicates including aluminosilicate nanorods are formed by heating a geopolymer resin containing up to about 90 mol % water in a closed container at a temperature between about 70° C. and about 200° C. for a length of time up to about one week to yield a first material including the aluminosilicate nanorods. The aluminosilicate nanorods have an average width of the between about 5 nm and about 30 or between about 5 nm and about 60 nm or between about 5 nm and about 100 nm, and a majority of the aluminosilicate nanorods have an aspect ratio between about 2 and about 100.
1. A composition comprising:
a nanostructured aluminosilicate comprising aluminosilicate nanorods, wherein:
an average width of the aluminosilicate nanorods is between about 5 nm and about 100 nm,
a majority of the aluminosilicate nanorods have an aspect ratio between about 2 and about 100,
the aluminosilicate nanorods comprise unbound aluminosilicate nanorods, and
a surface of the aluminosilicate nanorods is covered partially or completely with:
one or more organic molecules, surfactants, or polymers,
one or more inorganic molecules or nanoparticles,
one or more molecules of a biological origin, or
any combination thereof.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the mesopore volume of the nanostructured aluminosilicate is at least about 0.05 cc/g on the BJH cumulative pore volume from the desorption branch of the N 2 sorption isotherm, wherein the mesopore volume is the total pore volume of the pores having a pore width between about 2 nm and about 50 nm.
3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the specific micropore surface area of the nanostructured aluminosilicate is between 1 m 2 /g and 60 m 2 /g.
4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein alkali ions in the aluminosilicate nanorods are exchanged partially or completely with other metal ions or protons.
5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the specific micropore surface area of the nanostructured aluminosilicate is between 60 m 2 /g and 700 m 2 /g.
6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanostructured aluminosilicate comprises one or more metal counterions.
7. The composition of claim 6 , wherein the metal counterions comprise one or more alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals, or lanthanide metals.
8. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the alkali metals comprise one or more of sodium, potassium, and cesium.
9. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the alkaline earth metals comprise one or more of magnesium, calcium, and barium.
10. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the transition metal comprises one or more of silver, copper, zinc, iron, and molybdenum.
11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nanostructured aluminosilicate comprises a hydroxide counterion.
12. An aqueous medium, organic medium, colloidal medium, latex colloidal medium, dispersion medium, suspension medium, polymeric medium, or elastomeric medium comprising the nanostructured aluminosilicate of claim 1 .
13. The aqueous medium, organic medium, colloidal medium, latex colloidal medium, dispersion medium, suspension medium, polymeric medium, or elastomeric medium of claim 12 , wherein the nanostructured aluminosilicate provides a thixotropic property to the aqueous medium, organic medium, suspension medium, polymeric medium, or elastomeric medium.
14. An article comprising the nanostructured aluminosilicate of claim 1 , wherein the article is a tire, a rubber belt, a rubber seal, a rubber tube, footwear, a polystyrene foam, a polyurethane foam, a plastic, a fire extinguisher, a tooth paste, a drug tablet, a membrane, a dehumidifier, fertilizer, or a heat exchanger.
15. A material comprising the nanostructured aluminosilicate of claim 1 , wherein the material is an adhesive, a sealant, a colorant, an ink, an ink for ink-jet printers, a toner, a paint, a coating, a defoamer, a grease, a paper, a cement, a thermal insulating material, a sound proofing material, a rubber, a silicone rubber, a plastic, an animal feed, an animal nutrient, an antibiotic, an antimicrobial agent, a fertilizer, a pesticide, a gel, an antacid, a food item, a fire retardant, a cosmetic, a cream, a lotion, a sealing agent, an adsorbent, a gas adsorbent, a carbon dioxide adsorbent or separator, a gas purifier, a deodorant, a detergent, a cat litter, a catalyst, an oxygen concentrator, an ion exchanger, a sulfur scavenger, an acid scavenger, a radionuclide sorbent, or a desiccant.
16. The material of claim 15 , wherein the material is in the form of a liquid, a semi-liquid, a paste, a semi-solid, powder, granules, beads, pellets, film, coating, fibers, hollow fibers, wires, strings, tubing, foams, or monoliths.