Boron Filled Hybrid Nanotubes

• US 20180057359A1
• Filed: 08/27/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rajen Bhupendra Patel
• Original Assignee: Rajen Bhupendra Patel
• Inventors: Patel, Rajen Bhupendra
• Granted Patent: US 10,453,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/745 Iron
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/755 Nickel
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0238 via the gaseous phase-sublimation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/178 Opening; Filling
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 35/04 Metal borides
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 35/06 Boron halogen compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 5/14 Solid materials, e.g. powdery or granular
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/0605 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/228 Gas flow assisted PVD deposition
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/24 Vacuum evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/26 Deposition of carbon only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4418 Methods for making free-standing articles C23C16/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/04 mainly consisting of carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon

Abstract

A boron filled hybrid nanotube and a method for producing and rendering boron filled hybrid nanotubes suitable for applications are provided. A mixture of a boron containing nanowire producing compound and catalysts is prepared and ground for a predetermined time period. The ground mixture is subjected to a vapor deposition process including passing an inert gas over the ground mixture after adding a nanotube producing compound to the ground mixture or after passing a reactant gas on the ground mixture in a reactor at a configurable reaction temperature and a configurable reaction pressure for a configurable reaction time to produce the boron filled hybrid nanotubes with enhanced mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. Each boron filled hybrid nanotube includes one or more boron based nanowires embedded within one or more single walled or multi-walled nanotubes. The boron filled hybrid nanotubes are further purified and functionalized using acids, and/or bases, and/or surfactants.

Claims

1. A method for producing boron filled hybrid nanotubes, the method comprising:

preparing a mixture comprising about 0% to about 90% by weight of a nanotube producing compound, about 5% to about 90% by weight of a boron containing nanowire producing compound, and about 5% to about 90% by weight of catalysts;

grinding the prepared mixture for a predetermined time period; and

subjecting the ground mixture to a vapor deposition process comprising passing about 0% to about 100% by volume of a reactant gas and about 0% to about 100% by volume of an inert gas over the ground mixture in a reactor at a configurable reaction temperature and a configurable reaction pressure for a configurable reaction time to produce the boron filled hybrid nanotubes with enhanced mechanical properties, enhanced thermal properties, and enhanced electrical properties, and wherein each of the boron filled hybrid nanotubes comprises one or more boron based nanowires embedded within at least one of one or more single walled nanotubes and one or more multi-walled nanotubes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the nanotube producing compound is selected from the group consisting of boron nitride, boron carbon nitride, titania, carbon, zinc oxide, tungsten sulfide, halogenide, silicon, chalcogenide, carbon organic materials, and any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the boron containing nanowire producing compound is selected from the group consisting of boron oxide, boron nitride, magnesium diboride, calcium hexaboride, borane, pure boron, organic molecules containing boron, borohydrides, boron hydride borohydrides, boron based amorphous glasses, iron boride, nickel boride, titanium diboride, rhenium diboride, zirconium diboride, metallic borides, compounds having free boron, and any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the catalysts are selected from the group consisting of a metal catalyst, magnesium diboride, titanium diboride, iron boride, nickel boride, rhenium diboride, zirconium diboride, pure boron, boron oxide, boron carbide, a boride containing ceramic, calcium hexaboride, borane, boron hydride borohydrides, boron based amorphous glasses, organic compounds containing boron, metallic borides, a metal boride based catalyst, a mesostructured hexagonal framework mobil composition of matter No. 41 zeolite powder, and any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactant gas is selected from the group consisting of methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, acetylene, ethanol, acetone, hexane, aromatics, benzenes, ethers, glycols, toluene, xylene, propanol, pyridine, pentane, octane, carbon tetrachloride, butanol, butanone, acetonitrile, acetic acid, chloroform, alcohols, diglyme, dimethyl fluoride, methanol, methylene chloride, heptane, acetates, amines, dioxane, glycerine, glycols, boron trifluoride, boron bromide, boranes, dichloroethane, and any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the inert gas is selected from the group consisting of argon, xenon, nitrogen, krypton, radon, neon, carbon dioxide, helium, and any combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising purifying and functionalizing the produced boron filled hybrid nanotubes using a purifying agent selected from the group consisting of an acid, a base, a surfactant, and any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid, and wherein the base is sodium hydroxide.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the produced boron filled hybrid nanotubes are functionalized with a chemical side group selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl group, an amine group, an ester linkage, a fullerene, an oxygen group, a radical group, dendrimers, diamines, nucleic acids, enzymes metal complexes, deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid, poly m-phenylenevinylene-co-2,5-dioctoxy-p-phenlenevinylene, a vanadyl complex, glucose, proteins, a semiconductor, metal nanoparticles, and any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the preparation of the mixture comprises adding about 0% to about 99% by weight of a substrate material.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate material is selected from the group consisting of porous silicon, an aerogel, a carbon based gel, a porous ceramic, an electrical templated metal, an electrical templated semiconductor, quantum dots, nano based powders, and any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the vapor deposition process is one of a chemical vapor deposition process and a physical vapor deposition process.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the vapor deposition process is a continuous flow process, wherein the ground mixture of the boron containing nanowire producing compound and the catalysts, and one of the nanotube producing compound and the reactant gas are injected continuously into the reactor with the inert gas flowing in the reactor to continuously produce the boron filled hybrid nanotubes.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the configurable reaction temperature varies from about 500°

C. to about 1500°

C., wherein the configurable reaction pressure varies from about 0 bar to about 300 bar, and wherein the configurable reaction time varies from about 1 second to about 1 week.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the produced boron filled hybrid nanotubes in one or more of a plurality of forms comprising a composite, a nanopaper, a spooled bundle, a film, and one or more bundles.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more boron based nanowires in the produced boron filled hybrid nanotubes are free of pure boron.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein structure of the produced boron filled hybrid nanotubes is one of a straight structure, a coiled structure, and a corrugated structure.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a structure of each of the boron filled hybrid nanotubes is substantially doped with boron from the one or more boron based nanowires.

19. A boron filled hybrid nanotube comprising:

at least one of one or more single walled nanotubes and one or more multi-walled nanotubes; and

one or more boron based nanowires embedded within the at least one of the one or more single walled nanotubes and the one or more multi-walled nanotubes, forming the boron filled hybrid nanotube with enhanced mechanical properties, enhanced thermal properties, and enhanced electrical properties.

20. The boron filled hybrid nanotube of claim 19, wherein the at least one of the one or more single walled nanotubes and the one or more multi-walled nanotubes are one of produced from a reactant gas selected from the group consisting of methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, acetylene, ethanol, acetone, hexane, aromatics, benzenes, ethers, glycols, toluene, xylene, propanol, pyridine, pentane, octane, carbon tetrachloride, butanol, butanone, acetonitrile, acetic acid, chloroform, alcohols, diglyme, dimethyl fluoride, methanol, methylene chloride, heptane, acetates, amines, dioxane, glycerine, glycols, boron trifluoride, boron bromide, boranes, dichloroethane, and any combination thereof, and one or more of produced from and contain a nanotube producing compound selected from the group consisting of boron nitride, boron carbon nitride, titania, carbon, zinc oxide, tungsten sulfide, halogenide, silicon, chalcogenide, carbon organic materials, and any combination thereof.

21. The boron filled hybrid nanotube of claim 19, wherein the one or more boron based nanowires are one or more of produced from and contain a boron containing nanowire producing compound selected from the group consisting of boron oxide, boron nitride, magnesium diboride, calcium hexaboride, borane, pure boron, organic molecules containing boron, borohydrides, boron hydride borohydrides, boron based amorphous glasses, iron boride, nickel boride, titanium diboride, rhenium diboride, zirconium diboride, metallic borides, compounds having free boron, and any combination thereof.

22. The boron filled hybrid nanotube of claim 19 configured with one of a straight structure, a coiled structure, and a corrugated structure.

23. The boron filled hybrid nanotube of claim 19 configured in one or more of a plurality of forms comprising a composite, a nanopaper, a spooled bundle, a film, and one or more bundles.

24. The boron filled hybrid nanotube of claim 19 containing one of enriched boron and depleted boron for radiation shielding.

25. The boron filled hybrid nanotube of claim 19 free of pure boron.

26. The boron filled hybrid nanotube of claim 19 for purifying one of liquids and gases.

27. The boron filled hybrid nanotube of claim 19 as one or more of a precursor, a catalyst in a chemical reaction, and a template for stabilizing an unstable material.

28. The boron filled hybrid nanotube of claim 19 for use in microelectromechanical system type devices.

29. The boron filled hybrid nanotube of claim 19 substantially doped with boron from the one or more boron based nanowires.