Method of making nanoparticle colloid and nanoporous layer
First Claim
1. A method of making a nanoporous layer, the method comprising:
- providing a liquid composition comprising a surfactant and metal ions, wherein the surfactant is in a reverse micelle phase comprising a plurality of hydrophilic spaces;
adding a reducing agent to the liquid composition to cause reduction of at least part of the metal ions to form nanoparticles, which provides a first colloid, wherein at least some of the hydrophilic spaces enclose at least one of the nanoparticles;
removing the surfactant from the first colloid to form a second colloid comprising nanoparticles from the first colloid such that the second colloid is substantially free of the surfactant, wherein removing the surfactant causes at least part of the nanoparticles to get together and form a number of nanoparticle clusters having an irregularly shaped body which comprises a number of nanoparticles having a generally oval or spherical shape with a length ranging between about 2 nm and about 5 nm;
subsequently, adjusting a concentration of the nanoparticles in the second colloid to provide a colloid composition such that the nanoparticles contained in the colloid composition are in an amount between about 0.01 wt % and about 2 wt % with reference to the total weight of the colloid composition;
dispensing, over a substrate, the colloid composition comprising nanoparticle clusters from the second colloid; and
subjecting the dispensed colloid composition to drying to form a nanoporous layer in which the nanoparticle clusters contained in the dispensed colloid composition deposit over the substrate such that irregularly shaped bodies of the nanoparticle clusters connect to one another to form a three-dimensional interconnected network of irregularly shaped bodies comprising a number of nanoparticles,wherein the substrate comprises an electrically conductive or semiconductive surface, and the irregularly shaped bodies comprising a number of nanoparticles settle on the electrically conductive or semiconductive surface of the substrate.
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Abstract
This application features a method of forming a nanoporous layer. The method includes steps of reducing metal ions in a reverse micelle phase composition to form nanoparticles, removing surfactant from the composition to form clusters of the nanoparticles, dispensing the composition including the nanoparticle clusters dispersed in a liquid on a substrate, and drying to form the nanoporous layer. The nanoporous layer includes nanoparticles deposited to form a three dimensional network of irregularly shaped bodies. The nanoporous layer also includes a three dimensional network of intercluster spaces that are not occupied by the three dimensional network of irregularly shaped bodies.
16 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of making a nanoporous layer, the method comprising:
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providing a liquid composition comprising a surfactant and metal ions, wherein the surfactant is in a reverse micelle phase comprising a plurality of hydrophilic spaces; adding a reducing agent to the liquid composition to cause reduction of at least part of the metal ions to form nanoparticles, which provides a first colloid, wherein at least some of the hydrophilic spaces enclose at least one of the nanoparticles; removing the surfactant from the first colloid to form a second colloid comprising nanoparticles from the first colloid such that the second colloid is substantially free of the surfactant, wherein removing the surfactant causes at least part of the nanoparticles to get together and form a number of nanoparticle clusters having an irregularly shaped body which comprises a number of nanoparticles having a generally oval or spherical shape with a length ranging between about 2 nm and about 5 nm; subsequently, adjusting a concentration of the nanoparticles in the second colloid to provide a colloid composition such that the nanoparticles contained in the colloid composition are in an amount between about 0.01 wt % and about 2 wt % with reference to the total weight of the colloid composition; dispensing, over a substrate, the colloid composition comprising nanoparticle clusters from the second colloid; and subjecting the dispensed colloid composition to drying to form a nanoporous layer in which the nanoparticle clusters contained in the dispensed colloid composition deposit over the substrate such that irregularly shaped bodies of the nanoparticle clusters connect to one another to form a three-dimensional interconnected network of irregularly shaped bodies comprising a number of nanoparticles, wherein the substrate comprises an electrically conductive or semiconductive surface, and the irregularly shaped bodies comprising a number of nanoparticles settle on the electrically conductive or semiconductive surface of the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification