Silver nanoparticles made in solvent

• US 7,329,301 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Jagannathan, Seshadri, Schmittou, Eric R., Chang, Yun C., Cowdery-Corvan, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): King; Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhu; Weiping
• Application Number:
  US10/953,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20060065075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 752/52, 752/55, 753/62, 753/65, 753/69, 753/71, 423/1
• US Class Current: 75/252
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/0545 Dispersions or suspensions of nanosized particles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 9/24 starting from liquid metal compounds, e.g. solutions
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 11/04 by wet processes extraction of metal compounds by leaching in organic solutions C22B3/16; treatment or purification of solutions by liquid-liquid extraction C22B3/26
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1641 Organic substrates, e.g. resin, plastic
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1646 Characteristics of the product obtained
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/44 using reducing agents
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12014 having metal particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/8305 Miscellaneous [e.g., treated surfaces, etc.]

Abstract

This invention relates to a composition of matter comprising associated predominantly silver nanoparticles, and a method of making the nanoparticles. It further relates to articles comprising the nanoparticles.

Claims

1. A composition of matter comprising associated predominantly silver metal nanoparticles, a polymer that is soluble in a non-aqueous solvent and a non-aqueous solvent, wherein greater than 80% by number of the nanoparticles touch or connect with at least one other particle.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein greater than 90% by number of the nanoparticles touch or connect with at least one other particle.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles arc greater than 95 weight % silver.

4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles further comprise copper, zinc, nickel, gold or platinum.

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles further comprise copper.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles have a mean particle size range of 5 nm to 30 nm.

7. The composition of claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles have a mean particle size range of 5 nm to 15 nm.

8. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer is a polyvinylbutyral or a copolymer thereof.

9. The composition of claim 8 wherein the polymer is polyvinylbutyral-co-vinyl alcohol co-vinyl acetate.

10. The composition of claim 1 wherein the non-aqueous solvent is a ketone.

11. The composition of claim 1 made by the method of

providing a source of soluble silver salt,

reducing the soluble silver ion into silver metal using a reducing agent,

supplying a polymer that is soluble in a non-aqueous solvent and a non-aqueous solvent;

and

allowing growth of the nanoparticles in the presence of the polymer soluble in a non-aqueous solvent and a non-aqueous solvent.

12. The composition of claim 11 wherein the soluble silver is a soluble silver salt.

13. The composition of claim 12 wherein the soluble silver salt is silver trifluoroacetate.

14. The composition of claim 11 wherein the non-aqueous solvent is a ketone.

15. The composition of claim 11 wherein the polymer is a polyvinylbutyral or a copolymer thereof.

16. The composition of claim 15 wherein the polymer is polyvinylbutyral-co-vinyl alcohol co-vinyl acetate.

17. The composition of claim 11 wherein the reducing agent is tin(II) chloride, ascorbic acid palmitate, potassium tetrachloroaurate or tributylamine.

18. A method of making the composition of claim 1 comprising associated predominantly silver metal nanoparticles comprising

providing a source of soluble silver,

reducing the soluble silver into silver metal using a reducing agent,

supplying a polymer that is soluble in a non-aqueous solvent and a non-aqueous solvent;

and

allowing the growth of the nanoparticles in the presence of the polymer and non-aqueous solvent.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the process is performed at a temperature below 90 degrees C.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the process is performed at a temperature below 35 degrees C.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein greater than 90% by number of the nanoparticles touch or connect with at least one other particle.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the nanoparticles are greater than 90 weight % silver.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the nanoparticles are greater than 95 weight % silver.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the nanoparticles further comprise copper, zinc, nickel, gold or platinum.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the nanoparticles further comprise copper.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein the nanoparticles have a mean particle size range of 5 nm to 30 nm.

27. The method of claim 18 where the nanoparticles have a mean particle size range of 5 nm to 15 nm.

28. A method of making the composition of claim 1 comprising associated predominantly silver metal nanoparticles comprising

providing a soluble silver salt,

reducing the soluble silver salt into silver metal using tin(II) chloride, ascorbic acid palmitate or potassium tetrachloroaurate,

supplying polyvinylbutyral or a copolymer thereof and a ketone solvent;

and

allowing the growth of the nanoparticles in the presence of the polyvinylbutyral or a copolymer thereof and the ketone solvent;

wherein the method is performed at a temperature below 35 degrees C.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the resulting nanoparticle composition is concentrated or filtered.

30. An article comprising an antimicrobial amount of a nanoparticle composition of claim 1 comprising associated predominantly silver metal nanoparticles, wherein said composition is either applied to the surface of or integrated into the article.

31. A device comprising a composition of claim 1 comprising associated predominantly silver metal nanoparticles, wherein said composition is utilized in the device in an amount and in a format suitable for conducting electrical current.

32. The device of claim 31 wherein said device is a liquid crystal display device, a touch panel device or an Electro-Luminescence display device.

33. An article comprising on the surface thereof a composition of claim 1 comprising associated predominantly silver metal nanoparticles, wherein said composition is applied to the surface in an amount and in a format suitable for conducting electrical current.

34. A medium comprising a support and coated on the surface thereof an antimicrobial layer comprising the composition of claim 1 comprising associated predominantly silver metal nanoparticles.

35. The medium of claim 34 wherein the medium is flexible.

36. A method of inhibiting the growth of microorganisms comprising contacting said microorganisms or their surrounding environment with a composition of claim 1 comprising associated predominantly silver metal nanoparticles.

37. A method of inhibiting the growth of microorganisms comprising contacting said microorganisms or their surrounding environment with an article comprising the composition of claim 1 comprising associated predominantly silver metal nanoparticles.

38. A method of conducting an electrical current comprising passing an electrical current through a device comprising a composition of claim 1 comprising associated predominantly silver metal nanoparticles, wherein said composition is utilized in the device in an amount and in a format suitable for conducting electrical current.