Method of plasmon-enhanced properties of materials and applications thereof

• US 20050164169A1
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Environmental Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: American Environmental Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Malak, Henryk
• Granted Patent: US 7,704,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/5
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/08 Radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/14 Plasma, i.e. ionised gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/232 layered or coated
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 2003/2241 Titanium dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 9/10 Encapsulated ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/084 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/62 modified by treatment with other compounds
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54373 involving physiochemical end-point determination, e.g. wave-guides, FETS, gratings

Abstract

Methods and applications of surface plasmon resonance-enhanced antibacterial, anti-adhere, adhere, catalytic, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, spectral change, biological and chemical decomposition properties of materials with embedded nanoparticles are disclosed. A method of the nonlinear generation of surface plasmon resonance enables the use of light with wavelengths from X-Ray to IR to enhance properties of materials by several orders of magnitude. The nanoparticle size is crucial for the enhancement and their size is considered to be in the proposed methods and applications within a range of 0.1 nm to 200,000 nm. The nanoparticles preferably are made of noble metals and/or semiconductor oxides. The invention describes a very broad spectrum of applications of surface plasmon resonance-enhanced properties of materials with embedded nanoparticles, from environmental cleanup by road pavement and construction materials, self-cleaning processes of surface materials, thermochromic effects on heat blocking materials, corrosion preventing paint, to sanitization by antibacterial textile fabrics, filters, personal clothing, contact lenses and medical devices.

Claims

1. A method of surface plasmon resonance-enhanced antimicrobial, anti-adhere, adhere, catalytic, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, spectral change, biological and chemical decomposition properties of a material comprises of:

a) a material;

b) an embedded nanoparticle into said material;

c) a biological substance or a chemical substance located nearby said embedded nanoparticle;

d) a surface plasmon resonance source exciting said embedded nanoparticle and irradiating said material, chemical substance and/or biological substance;

e) a surface plasmon resonance excited embedded nanoparticle interacting with said material;

f) a surface plasmon resonance excited embedded nanoparticle interacting with nearby said biological substance and/or chemical substance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said biological substance is selected from the group consisting of a biomolecule, amino acid, protein, tissue, non-tissue biological material, skin, cells, body fluid, bacteria, microbe, virus, pathogen, biochemical warfare agent, biological warfare agent.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said chemical substance is an inorganic molecule, organic molecule, mixture of inorganic and organic molecules, drug, chemical warfare agent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said embedded nanoparticle is a metal, metal oxide, metal dioxide, metallic salt, intermetallic alloy, transition metal, quantum dot, electric conductor, electric superconductor, electric semiconductor, semiconductor doped with metal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said embedded nanoparticle is selected from a group consisting of silver, silver oxide, silver ion, silver nitrate, ruthenium, platinum, palladium, cobalt, rhenium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, copper, aluminum, aluminum oxide, aluminum alloy, zinc, zinc oxide, nickel, chromium, magnesium, magnesium oxide, tungsten, iron, palladium, gold, titanium, titanium oxide, titanium dioxide, titania, alkaline earth metal, selenium, cadmium, vanadium, vanadium oxide, molybdenum.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said nanoparticle is titanium dioxide.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said embedded nanoparticle has a size within a range of 0.1 nm to 200,000 nm in at least one of the dimensions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said nanoparticle is a thin film, colloid, fiber, metal island, nanowire, nanotube, empty shell, shell filled with a conducting material, shell filled with a dielectric material.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said embedded nanoparticle is a non-coated nanoparticle, coated nanoparticle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said coated nanoparticle is coated by a semiconductor, conductor, biochemical substance, polymer, light sensitive polymer, disintegrating in time polymer, environmentally sensitive polymer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said coating material of said embedded nanoparticle has thickness within a range of 1 nm to 200,000 nm.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said material is a dielectric, conductor, semiconductor, silicon oxide, zeolite, mesoporous material, construction material, paint material, road pavement material, glass, ceramic, plastics, silicone, silica, adhesive material, corrosion protective material, packaging material, contact lenses material, optical material, thermochromic material, quartz, polymer, polypropylene, aqueous solution, organic solution, air, gas, textile fabric, cellulose based material, biological material.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said embedded nanoparticle is located in said material from a surface of said material towards into said material within a distance of 0 nm to 200,000 nm.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said biological substance or said chemical substance are located nearby said embedded nanoparticle within a range of 0 nm to 200,000 nm.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said surface plasmon resonance source comprises a single or a multiple energy source of electromagnetic radiation, ultrasound, heat, electric, electrostatic, magnetic, radiation, mechanic.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said surface plasmon resonance source is irradiating said embedded nanoparticles and said material with intensity within the range of 0.00005 mW/cm² to 1000 TW/cm².

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said electromagnetic radiation is selected from the group consisting of a laser with single wavelength, laser with plurality wavelengths, semiconductor laser, pulsed laser, Q-switched laser, light emitted diode, lamp, bioluminescence, sunlight, fluorescence, chemiluminescence, electroluminescence, luminescence, X-Rays.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said electromagnetic radiation source has a wavelength or wavelengths within a range of 0.001 nm to 20,000 nm,

19. A method of claim 1, wherein said surface plasmon resonance source generates surface plasmon resonance in said embedded nanoparticles by said electromagnetic radiation in a one-photon mode, two-photon mode, multi-photon mode, step-wise mode, up-conversion mode.

20. A method of claim 1, wherein said surface plasmon resonance-enhanced antibacterial, anti-adhere, adhere, catalytic, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, spectral change, biological and chemical decomposition properties of said material are applied to a road pavement, outdoor wall, internal wall, walkway, glass window, mirror, ceramic tile, sanitary unit, object for public use, carpet, rug, adhesive technology, paint, corrosion protective technology, medical device, device, medical supply, contact lenses, glove, optical surface, glasses, goggle, medical implant, air filter, fluid filter, air freshener, air humidifier, indoor air, air in commuting vehicle, air system in airplane, residential and commercial air conditioning and heating ventilation system, textile fabric, door mat, clothing, cleaning water, surface cleaning technology, cleaning air, disinfectant product, antiseptic product, water supply line, water container, bathtub, whirlpool, Jacuzzi, swimming pool, dental waterline, food technology, food and beverage packaging technology animal food technology, household cleaning product, kitchen product, product for pets, cosmetic product, hygiene product, medical bio-safety product, hair product, laundry product, pharmaceutical product for human, pharmaceutical product for animal, surface preserving product, art preserving product, chemical warfare technology, biological warfare technology, memory technology, telecommunication technology.

21. A method of claim 1 is applied to contact lenses.

22. A method of claim 1 is applied for chemical and biological self-cleaning of said surface of said material.

23. A method of claim 1 is applied for an environmental cleanup, chemical warfare agent cleanup, biological warfare agent cleanup.

24. A method of claim 1, wherein an area of said surface plasmon resonance-enhanced properties of said material induced by said embedded nanoparticle is within a range of 10 nmsup2 to 10sup8 nmsup2.

25. A method of claim 1, wherein said surface plasmon resonance-enhanced antibacterial, anti-adhere, adhere, catalytic, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, spectral change, biological and chemical decomposition properties of said material are controlled in said material two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally.

26. A method of claim 1, wherein said surface plasmon resonance-enhanced antibacterial, anti-adhere, adhere, catalytic, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, spectral change, biological and chemical decomposition properties of said material are controlled by wavelengths of said electromagnetic radiation source.

27. A method of claim 1, wherein color of said material is modified by a size and shape of said embedded nanoparticle.

28. A method of claim 1 and claim 20, wherein said surface plasmon resonance-enhanced antibacterial, anti-adhere, adhere, catalytic, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, spectral change, biological and chemical decomposition properties of said material are applied in presence of said chemical substance, biological substance, drug.

29. A method of claim 1 and claim 28 is applied to a corrosion protective paint.

30. A method of claim 29, wherein said corrosion protective paint changes its spectral properties upon a corrosion progress on said material surface.

31. A method of claim 30, wherein spectral changes of said corrosion protective paint upon said corrosion progress on said material surface are measured visually or by a spectral instrument.

32. A method of claim 29, wherein said corrosion protective paint releases an anti-corrosion active substance upon environmental conditions and/or time.

33. A method of claim 1, wherein said surface plasmon resonance-enhanced properties of materials including surface plasmon resonance-enhanced fluorescence and Raman are used in said device for diagnostics purposes.