Composite nanoparticles, nanoparticles and methods for producing same

• US 7,534,490 B1
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vive Crop Protection Inc.
• Original Assignee: Northern Technologies, Inc. (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Goh, Cynthia M., Loo, Richard, Veletanlic, Emina, Goh, Jane B., Dinglasan, Jose Amado
• Primary Examiner(s): Kiliman; Leszek
• Application Number:
  US12/236,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20090124726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• Field of Search: 428/323, 428/402, 428/403, 428/407, 427/212, 427/213.31, 427/213.33, 752/55, 753/43, 753/45, 753/70, 525/329.1
• US Class Current: 428/402
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/128 Polymer particles coated by inorganic and non-macromolecular organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/14 by precipitation from solutions C08J3/122 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/215 at least one additive being also premixed with a liquid phase
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/24 Crosslinking, e.g. vulcanising, of macromolecules mechanical aspects B29C35/00; crosslinking agents C08K
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/28 Treatment by wave energy or particle radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/62 modified by treatment with other compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/65 macromolecular C09D7/41-C09D7/48 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/67 Particle size smaller than 100 nm
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/70 characterised by shape, e.g. fibres, flakes or microspheres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2991 Coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2993 Silicic or refractory material containing [e.g., tungsten oxide, glass, cement, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2995 Silane, siloxane or silicone coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2996 Glass particles or spheres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2998 including synthetic resin or polymer

Abstract

In various aspects provided are methods for producing a nanoparticle within a cross-linked, collapsed polymeric material. In various embodiments, the methods comprise (a) providing a polymeric solution comprising a polymeric material; (b) collapsing at least a portion of the polymeric material about one or more precursor moieties; (c) cross-linking the polymeric material; (d) modifying at least a portion of said precursor moieties to form one or more nanoparticles and thereby forming a composite nanoparticle.

Claims

1. A method for producing a composite nanoparticle, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a polymeric solution comprising a polymeric material and a solvent;

b) collapsing at least a portion of the polymeric material about one or more precursor moieties to form a composite precursor moiety having a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm;

c) cross-linking the polymeric material of said composite precursor moiety; and

d) modifying at least a portion of said precursor moieties of said composite precursor moiety to form one or more nanoparticles and thereby forming a composite nanoparticle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said composite nanoparticle has a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said collapsing step comprises adding a collapsing agent to the polymeric solution.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said precursor moiety is a collapsing agent.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the collapsing agent comprises at least one ionic species.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the said at least one ionic species that is a salt and comprises one or more inorganic salts, organic salts, or combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying step comprises exposing said composite precursor moiety to electromagnetic radiation to effect formation of the nanoparticle from said precursor moiety.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying step comprises subjecting said composite precursor moiety to a chemical treatment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said chemical treatment results in a reduction or oxidation of said precursor moiety.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said chemical treatment comprises addition of a counter ion to a precursor moiety of a composite precursor moiety, or precursor of said counter ion, to effect formation of the nanoparticle from said precursor moiety.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said solvent is an aqueous solution.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more precursor moieties are one or more of a metal cation, complexed metal cation or complexed metal anion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of said precursor moieties comprise two or more different metals;

and wherein the nanoparticle formed by the modifying step comprises an alloy of two or more of the two or more metals.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said polymeric material comprises linear or branched segments comprising polyions, the polyions comprising one or more anions, cations, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said polymeric material comprises one or more functional groups.

16. A method for producing a nanoparticle material, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a polymeric solution comprising a polymeric material and a solvent;

b) collapsing at least a portion of the polymeric material about one or more precursor moieties to form a composite precursor moiety;

c) cross-linking the polymeric material of said composite precursor moiety; and

d) modifying at least a portion of said precursor moieties of said composite precursor moiety to form one or more nanoparticles having a mean diameter in the range between about 1 nm and about 100 nm and thereby forming a composite nanoparticle; and

e) pyrolysing said composite nanoparticle to form a nanoparticle material.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the pyrolysis substantially removes the polymeric material from the composite nanoparticle.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the pyrolysis conditions are controlled such that the nanoparticle material formed comprises at least a partially carbon-coated nanoparticle.

19. An at least partially carbon-coated nanoparticle when made by a method as claimed in claim 18.