Aerosol method for nano silver-silica composite anti-microbial agent

• US 8,246,933 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions Of Sandia LLC (Honeywell International Inc.), UNM Rainforest Innovations (f/k/a STC.UNM) (The University of New Mexico)
• Original Assignee: UNM Rainforest Innovations (f/k/a STC.UNM) (The University of New Mexico)
• Inventors: Jiang, Xingmao, Brinker, C. Jeffrey, Lin, Yong, Cheng, Yung-Sung
• Primary Examiner(s): Haghighatian, Mina
• Application Number:
  US12/324,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20090175948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: 424/46, 424/489, 424/618, 977/810, 977/906, 977/915
• US Class Current: 424/46
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 2300/00 Combinations or mixtures of active ingredients covered by classes A01N27/00 - A01N65/48 with other active or formulation relevant ingredients, e.g. specific carrier materials or surfactants, covered by classes A01N25/00 - A01N65/48
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/06 Aerosols
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/34 Shaped forms, e.g. sheets, not provided for in any other sub-group of this main group
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 59/16 Heavy metals; Compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 33/38 Silver; Compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/5115 Inorganic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/5192 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 31/00 Antiinfectives, i.e. antibiotics, antiseptics, chemotherapeutics

Abstract

A method of forming and resulting nano-structured composite includes atomizing a mixture of an amount of each of aminopropyltriethoxysilane, AgNO₃, DI water, and ethanol in a carrier gas; heating the atomized droplets at a selected temperature for a time sufficient to reduce the Ag to its elemental form in a silica matrix; and outputting the nano structured composite particles. A predetermined heating time is from about 0.01 to about 40 seconds and a selected heating temperature is from about 200 to about 800° C. The nano structured composite includes a plurality of nano particles at a contact surface of the composite, dispersed throughout and at a contact surface of the composite, or dispersed throughout the composite.

Claims

1. A method of forming a nano structured composite particle comprising:

spraying a mixture comprising aminosilane, AgNO₃, DI water, and alcohol in a carrier gas using an atomizer; and

heating the mixture at a selected temperature for a time sufficient to reduce the AgNO₃ by the alcohol to form a plurality of nano structured composite particles comprising nano elemental silver and silica.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a predetermined heating time is from about 0.01 to about 40 seconds.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a selected heating temperature is from about 200 to about 800°

C.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the nano structured composite particles comprise silver in an amount of about 1 to about 80 wt % relative to the total weight of the composite particles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture comprises a molar ratio of aminosilane to silver of about 0.1:

1 to about 50;

1.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aminosilane is present in an amount of about 5 g.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the aminosilane is aminopropyltriethoxysilane.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture comprises about 0.5 g to about 2 g of AgNO₃.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture comprises about 25 g DI water.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixture comprises about 12 g of ethanol.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier gas comprises one of nitrogen or air.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of nano structured composite particles comprises a plurality of nano elemental silver particles at a contact surface of the each composite particle.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of nano structured composite particles comprises a plurality of nano elemental silver particles dispersed throughout and at a contact surface of the each composite particle.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of nano structured composite particles comprises a plurality of nano elemental silver particles dispersed throughout the each composite particle.