Nanofibers, nanofilms and methods of making/using thereof

• US 20080187996A1
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Senaratne, Wageesha, Petzold, Odessa N., Walczak, Wanda J., Bryhan, Marie D., Baca, Adra S., Price, Michael W., Noll, Frederick E.
• Application Number:
  US11/899,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20080187996A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/396
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2400/12 Nanosized materials, e.g. nanofibres, nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes; Nanostructured surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/06 Titanium or titanium alloys
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/16 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 25/06 Polystyrene
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2533/30 Synthetic polymers thermoreactive polymers, e.g. PNIPAm, C12N2539/10
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 5/0075 using microcarriers
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/003 the material being a polymer solution or dispersion D01D5/0053 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 1/10 Other agents for modifying properties
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/14 from polymers of unsaturated alcohols, e.g. polyvinyl alcohol, or of their acetals or ketals
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/22 from polystyrene

Abstract

Described herein are compositions for making nanofibers and nanofilms composed of metal oxides, organic polymers, or combinations thereof. Also described herein are methods for making nanofibers and nanofilms where the fibers are formed from a solution having more than one solvent, where the solvents are immiscible. Nanofibers and nanofilms composed of metal oxides, organic polymers or combinations thereof are described. Finally, methods for using the nanofibers and nanofilms are described.

Claims

1. A composition for making a nanofiber comprising:

(a) a metal oxide, a metal oxide precursor, or a combination of metal oxide and metal oxide precursor and

(b) a first solvent and second solvent,

wherein the metal oxide, metal oxide precursor or combination of metal oxide and metal oxide precursor is soluble in the first solvent, the second solvent, or both the first and second solvent and wherein the first solvent and second solvent are immiscible.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein component (a) is a metal oxide and wherein the metal oxide comprises niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, zirconium oxide, molybdenum oxide, vanadium pentoxide, nickel oxide, iron oxide, lead oxide, germanium oxide, manganese oxide, cobalt oxide, tin oxide, or a combination of two or more thereof.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein component (a) is a metal oxide precursor and wherein the metal oxide precursor comprises a metal salt, a metal alkoxide, a metal hydroxide, a metal ester, a metal nitride, a metal carbide, a metal halide, a metal sulfide, a metal selenide, a metal phosphate, a metal sulfate, a metal carbonate, a metal nitrate, a metal nitrite, a silsesquioxane, a silicone, silica, or a combination of two or more thereof.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a polymer, one or more polymer precursor, or a combination of two or more thereof.

5. The composition of claim 4, wherein the polymer comprises polystyrene, a polyacrylate, a polyethylene, a polyimide, a polyether, a polysulfone, a polystyrenesulfonic acid, a polyethyleneimine, a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyvinylformal, a polyoxazaline, a polyvinylpyridine, a protein, an oligonucleotide, a polysaccharide, a polyamide, a polyvinylalkylether, a cycloolefinic copolymer, a polymethylmethacrylate, a polyester, a polymethacrylate, a phenolic compound, an epoxy compound, a urethane, a styrenic polymer, maleic anhydrides, a polypropylene oxides, a polyethylene oxide, a polyolefin, a polycarbonate, a fluoropolymer, a peptides, a cellulosic polymer, a hydrogel, polylysine, a polylactic acid, polylactide-co-glycolide, an alginate, a polycaprolactone, a polyorganosilsesquioxane, an acrylamide, a polysulfonate, a polyketone, a polyacrylonitrile, a polymethylpentene, a block co-polymer, a polyvinylpyrrolidine, a protein, a peptide, an oligonucleotide, or a combination of two or more thereof.

6. The composition of claim 4, wherein the composition comprises a polymer and a metal oxide precursor, and wherein the polymer comprises polystyrene and the metal oxide precursor comprises a titanium compound, a niobium compound, or a tantalum compound.

7. The composition of claim 4, wherein metal oxide, metal oxide precursor or combination of metal oxide and metal oxide precursor is soluble in the first solvent and the polymer is soluble in the second solvent, and the first solvent has a boiling point greater than the second solvent.

8. The composition of claim 4, wherein the metal oxide, metal oxide precursor or combination of metal oxide and metal oxide precursor are soluble in the first solvent and the polymer is soluble in the second solvent, and the first solvent has a boiling point less than the second solvent.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the first and second solvents have a difference in boiling points of at least 10°

C., measured at atmospheric pressure.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein the first and second solvents have a difference in vapor pressures of at least 10 mm Hg at 20°

C.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein the first and second solvent are selected from the group consisting of acetone, acetonitrile, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, cyclohexane, 1,2-dichloroethane, dichloromethane, diethyl ether, dimethyl formamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, 1,4-dioxane, ethanol, ethyl acetate, heptane, hexane, methanol, methyl-tert-butyl ether, pentane, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, tetrahydrofuran, toluene, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, water, ethanol, benzene, butanol, methyl ethyl ketone, N-methyl pyrrolidine, dimethylacetamide, formic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, and a combination of two or more thereof.

12. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a catalyst, bioactive agent, a metallic or organic conductive material, a magnetic material, a piezoelectric material, a ferroelectric material, a dielectric material, a radioactive material, a phosphorescent material, a dye, a surfactant, or a rare earth metal.

13. A fiber-forming composition comprising:

(a) a metal oxide, a metal oxide precursor or a combination of a metal oxide and a metal oxide precursor;

(b) a polymer or a polymer precursor; and

(c) a first solvent and second solvent,

wherein the metal oxide, metal oxide precursor, combination of metal oxide and metal oxide precursor, polymer or polymer precursor are soluble in the first solvent, the second solvent, or both the first and second solvent, and the first solvent and second solvent are immiscible.

14. The composition of claim 13, wherein the component of (a) comprises a metal oxide and wherein the metal oxide comprises niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, zirconium oxide, molybdenum oxide, vanadium pentoxide, a nickel oxide, an iron oxide, a lead oxide, a germanium oxide, a manganese oxide, a cobalt oxide, a tin oxide, or a combination of two or more thereof.

15. The composition of claim 13, wherein the component of (a) comprises a metal oxide precursor comprising a metal salt, a metal alkoxide, a metal hydroxide, a metal ester, a metal nitride, a metal carbide, a metal halide, a metal sulfide, a metal selenide, a metal phosphate, a metal sulfate, a metal carbonate, a metal nitrate, a metal nitrite, a silsesquioxane, a silicone, silica, or a combination of two or more thereof.

16. The composition of claim 13, wherein the component of (a) is a metal oxide precursor and wherein the metal oxide precursor comprises a niobium compound, a tantalum compound, a titanium compound, an aluminum compound, a silicon compound, a cerium compound, a calcium compound, a cadmium compound, an erbium compound, a selenium compound, a tellurium compound, a gallium compound, an arsenic compound, a germanium compound, a zinc compound, a tin compound, an indium compound, a ruthenium compound, a rhenium compound, a nickel compound, a tungsten compound, a molybdenum compound, a magnesium compound, or a combination of two or more thereof.

17. The composition of claim 14, wherein the metal oxide precursor, the polymer, the polymer precursor, or any combination thereof produces one or more co-solvents in situ.

18. The composition of claim 14, wherein the polymer comprises polystyrene, a polyacrylate, a polyethylene, a polyimide, a polyether, a polysulfone, a polystyrenesulfonic acid, a polyethyleneimine, a polyvinyl alcohol, a polyvinylformal, a polyoxazaline, a polyvinylpyridine, a protein, an oligonucleotide, a polysaccharide, a polyamide, a polyvinylalkylether, a cycloolefinic copolymer, a polymethylmethacrylate, a polyester, a polymethacrylate, a phenolic compound, an epoxy compound, a urethane, a styrenic polymer, maleic anhydrides, a polypropylene oxides, a polyethylene oxide, a polyolefin, a polycarbonate, a fluoropolymer, a peptides, a cellulosic polymer, a hydrogel, polylysine, a polylactic acid, polylactide-co-glycolide, an alginate, a polycaprolactone, a polyorganosilsesquioxane, an acrylamide, a polysulfonate, a polyketone, a polyacrylonitrile, a polymethylpentene, a block co-polymer, a polyvinylpyrrolidine, a protein, a peptide, an oligonucleotide, or a combination of two or more thereof.

19. The composition of claim 14, wherein the composition comprises a polymer and metal oxide precursor, wherein the polymer comprises polystyrene and the metal oxide precursor comprises a titanium compound, a niobium compound, or a tantalum compound.

20. The composition of claim 14, wherein the metal oxide precursor is soluble in the first solvent and the polymer is soluble in the second solvent, and the first solvent has a boiling point greater than the second solvent.

21. The composition of claim 14, wherein the metal oxide precursor is soluble in the first solvent and the polymer is soluble in the second solvent, and the first solvent has a boiling point less than the second solvent.

22. The composition of claim 14, wherein the first and second solvents have a difference in boiling points of at least 10°

C. measured at atmospheric pressure.

23. The composition of claim 14, wherein the first and second solvents have a difference in vapor pressures of at least 10 mm Hg at 20°

C.

24. The composition of claim 14, wherein the first and second solvent are selected from the group consisting of acetone, acetonitrile, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, cyclohexane, 1,2-dichloroethane, dichloromethane, diethyl ether, dimethyl formamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, 1,4-dioxane, ethanol, ethyl acetate, heptane, hexane, methanol, methyl-tert-butyl ether, pentane, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, tetrahydrofuran, toluene, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, water, ethanol, benzene, butanol, methyl ethyl ketone, N-methyl pyrrolidine, dimethylacetamide, formic acid, acetic acid, citric acid, and a combination of two or more thereof.

25. The composition of claim 14, wherein the composition further comprises a catalyst, bioactive agent, a metallic or organic conductive material, a magnetic material, a piezoelectric material, a ferroelectric material, a dielectric material, a radioactive material, a phosphorescent material, a dye, a surfactant or a rare earth metal.