Multi-phasic nanoparticles

• US 20060201390A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan)
• Inventors: Roh, Kyung-Ho, Martin, David C., Lahann, Joerg
• Granted Patent: US 7,767,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 106/401
• 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: C08J 2371/12 Polyphenylene oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/12 Powdering or granulating
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/20 Compounding polymers with additives, e.g. colouring
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/246 Intercrosslinking of at least two polymers
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0069 characterised by the spinning section, e.g. capillary tube, protrusion or pin
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/32 Side-by-side structure; Spinnerette packs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 8/00 Conjugated, i.e. bi- or multicomponent, artificial filaments or the like; Manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/906 Drug delivery

Abstract

A method of forming multi-phasic nano-objects involves the jetting of two or more different liquids in side-by-side capillaries thereby generating a composite liquid stream. The composite then exposed to a force field which causes the composite liquid stream to at least partially solidify into a nano-object. The method forms a nano-object having a number of morphologies such as rods, spheres, and fibers.

Claims

1. A method of forming nano-objects, the method comprising:

combining two or more liquid streams together such that the two or more liquid streams contact over spatial dimensions sufficient to form a composite liquid stream; and

exposing at least a portion of the composite liquid stream to a force field sufficient to form a nano-sized cone-jet thereby solidifying the composite liquid stream into the nano-objects, the nano-objects comprising multiple phases and multiple chemically distinct surfaces.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the force field is an electric field, a pressure gradient field, or a gravity field.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the composite liquid stream is at least partially solidified by a solidification process selected from the group consisting of evaporation, sol-gel transitioning, cooling and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the composite liquid stream comprises a cone-jet.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the composite liquid stream fragments into droplets when exposed to the force field.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the liquid streams comprise a component selected from the group consisting of liquid solutions, curable polymer precursors, polymer solutions, and polymer melts.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein one or more liquid streams further comprise an additive.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the additive is selected from the groups consisting of inorganic nanocrystals, quantum dots, biomolecules, colorants, crosslinkers, pharmaceutical compounds, molecular probes, and molecules that enable drug delivery.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising curing one or more liquid streams comprising curable polymer precursors.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the polymer precursors are cured thermally or by exposure to actinic radiation.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the nano-object has a spatial dimension between about 5 nm and about 5000 nm,

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the nano-object has a spatial dimension between about 20 nm and about 2000 nm.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the nano-object has a spatial dimension between about 50 nm and 500 nm.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein an electric field is formed by applying a potential difference between at least two electrodes from about 0.1 kV to about 25 kV.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the two or more liquid streams each individually include a colorant and wherein the nano-object is a multiphase colorant.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more liquid streams include one or more reactive components that react with a structural component thereby rendering a resulting surface of the nano-object chemically modified as compared to the surface when the one or more reactive components are not present.

17. A method of forming nano-objects, the method comprising:

combining two or more liquid streams together at a nozzle such that the two or more liquid streams contact over spatial dimensions sufficient to form a composite liquid stream having a nano-sized cone-jet; and

exposing at least a portion of the composite liquid stream to an electric field sufficient to solidify the composite liquid stream into the nano-objects, the nano-objects comprising multiple phases and multiple chemically distinct surfaces, wherein the nano-objects have a spatial dimension between about 20 nm and about 2000 nm.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the nano-object is a biphasic nano-object and the one or more liquid streams comprise two chemically distinct liquid streams.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein one or more of the liquid streams comprise a component selected from the group consisting of liquid solutions, curable polymer precursors, polymer solutions and polymer melts.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein one or more liquid streams further comprise an additive.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the additive is selected from the groups consisting of inorganic nanocrystals, quantum dots, biomolecules, colorants, crosslinkers, pharmaceutical compounds, molecular probes, and molecules that enable drug delivery.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising curing one or more liquid streams comprising curable polymer precursors.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the nano-object has a spatial dimension between about 50 nm and 500 nm.

24. A nano-object having at least one spatial dimension from about 20 nm to about 2000 nm and having multiple chemically distinct surfaces.

25. The nano-object of claim 24 wherein the nano-object is a biphasic nano-object.

26. The nano-object of claim 24 wherein the nano-object has a morphology selected from the group consisting of spheres, rods, fibers, and combinations thereof.

27. The nano-object of claim 24 wherein one or more liquid streams further comprise an additive.

28. The nano-object of claim 27 wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of inorganic nanocrystals, quantum dots, biomolecules, colorants, crosslinkers, pharmaceutical compounds, molecular probes, and molecules that enable drug delivery.

29. The nano-object of claim 27 wherein the additive is a colorant and the nano-object is a multiphase colorant.