Porous substrates, articles, systems and compositions comprising nanofibers and methods of their use and production

• US 10,279,341 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2014
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ONED Material Incorporated
• Original Assignee: OneD Material LLC
• Inventors: Niu, Chunming
• Primary Examiner(s): Mckinnon, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US14/506,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20150140333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0208 Single-component fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0216 Bicomponent or multicomponent fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/025 comprising nanofibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0407 comprising particulate additives, e.g. adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0421 Rendering the filter material hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0428 Rendering the filter material hydrophobic
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0492 on fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/064 The fibres being mixed
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/065 More than one layer present in the filtering material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/0654 Support layers
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/10 Filtering material manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/1216 Pore size
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/1225 Fibre length
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/083 of organic material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/086 of inorganic material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/2065 the material being fibrous
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 21/18 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/42 Platinum
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/52 Gold
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/23 in a colloidal state
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 35/50 : characterised by their shape or configuration
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0221 : of particles
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/44 : Oxides or hydroxides of elements of Groups 2 or 12 of the Periodic Table; Zincates; Cadmates
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/45 : Oxides or hydroxides of elements of Groups 3 or 13 of the Periodic Table; Aluminates
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/46 : Oxides or hydroxides of elements of Groups 4 or 14 of the Periodic Table; Titanates; Zirconates; Stannates; Plumbates
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/49 : Oxides or hydroxides of elements of Groups 8, 9,10 or 18 of the Periodic Table; Ferrates; Cobaltates; Nickelates; Ruthenates; Osmates; Rhodates; Iridates; Palladates; Platinates
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 11/83 : with metals; with metal-generating compounds, e.g. metal carbonyls; Reduction of metal compounds on textiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/52 : Physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/00 : Conductors or conductive bodies characterised by the conductive materials; Selection of materials as conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/04 : mainly consisting of carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02164 : the material being a silicon oxide, e.g. SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0237 : Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02524 : Group 14 semiconducting materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02532 : Silicon, silicon germanium, germanium
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02538 : Group 13/15 materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02551 : Group 12/16 materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02603 : Nanowires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02606 : Nanotubes carbon nanotubes H10K85/211
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 : Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02639 : Preparation of substrate for selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02645 : Seed materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02653 : Vapour-liquid-solid growth
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02664 : Aftertreatments planarisation in general H01L21/304
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2991 : Coated

Abstract

Porous and/or curved nanofiber bearing substrate materials are provided having enhanced surface area for a variety of applications including as electrical substrates, semipermeable membranes and barriers, structural lattices for tissue culturing and for composite materials, production of long unbranched nanofibers, and the like. A method of producing nanofibers is disclosed including providing a plurality of microparticles or nanoparticles such as carbon black particles having a catalyst material deposited thereon, and synthesizing a plurality of nanofibers from the catalyst material on the microparticles or nanoparticles. Compositions including carbon black particles having nanowires deposited thereon are further disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of producing nanowires, the method comprising:

providing a porous substrate comprising a plurality of carbon black particles;

depositing metal colloid catalyst on at least a portion of the overall surface area of the carbon black particles;

feeding the carbon black particles having the metal colloid catalyst deposited thereon with a reactive gas comprising silane (SiH₄); and

growing silicon nanowires in situ from the metal colloid catalyst deposited on the carbon black particles using a Vapor-Liquid-Solid (VLS) synthesis process, wherein the grown silicon nanowires are attached to and extend from at least a portion of the overall surface of the carbon black particles and have an aspect ratio greater than 10 and a cross sectional dimension less than 100 nm, and wherein the diameter of the carbon black particles is greater than 20 times and less than 1000 times the average cross-sectional dimension of the silicon nanowires.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after growing, detaching the silicon nanowires from the surface area of the carbon black particles to produce a population of free-standing silicon nanowires.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said detaching comprises heating the carbon black particles to remove the carbon black particles from the silicon nanowires.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said heating comprises heating the carbon black particles to a temperature greater than about 500 degrees Celsius.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after growing, coating the silicon nanowires, wherein the coating material is different from silicon.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after growing, coating the silicon nanowires, wherein the coating material comprises a carbide or a nitride.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after growing, coating the silicon nanowires, wherein the coating material comprises polysilicon.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after growing, coating the silicon nanowires, wherein the coating material comprises an oxide of silicon, titanium, aluminum, magnesium, iron, tungsten, tantalum, iridium, or ruthenium.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

treating the surface of the carbon black particles so that the metal colloid catalyst adheres to the surface.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least 50% of the grown silicon nanowires are unbranched.

5. A porous substrate for an article comprising:

a plurality of carbon black particles having silicon nanowires grown on and attached to at least a portion of the overall surface of the carbon black particles, said silicon nanowires extending from said surface, wherein the silicon nanowires have an aspect ratio greater than 10 and a cross sectional dimension less than 100 nm, and wherein the carbon black particles are conductive and have a diameter greater than 20 times and less than 1000 times the average cross-sectional dimension of the silicon nanowires.

10. The porous substrate of claim 5, wherein the silicon nanowires are coated with a material comprising a carbide or a nitride.

11. The porous substrate of claim 5, wherein the silicon nanowires are coated with a material comprising polysilicon.

12. The porous substrate of claim 5, wherein the silicon nanowires are coated with a material comprising an oxide of silicon, titanium, aluminum, magnesium, iron, tungsten, tantalum, iridium, or ruthenium.

15. The porous substrate of claim 5, wherein the silicon nanowires are electrically coupled to the carbon black particles.

16. The porous substrate of claim 5, wherein the carbon black particles and the silicon nanowires are at least partially encapsulated with a matrix material.

17. The porous substrate of claim 16, wherein the matrix material comprises a polymer.

18. The porous substrate of claim 16, wherein the matrix material comprises one or more of:

polyester, an epoxy, a urethane resin, an acrylate resin, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, or PFA.

20. The porous substrate of claim 5, wherein the density of the silicon nanowires on the surface of the carbon black particles is between 0.05 and 0.5 nanowires per square micron.

21. An electrode comprising the porous substrate of claim 15.

22. The porous substrate of claim 5, wherein at least 50% of the silicon nanowires are unbranched.

19. The porous substrate of clam 5, wherein the silicon nanowires comprise a p-type or a n-type dopant.