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Method of making a colloid and nanoporous layer

  • US 10,040,948 B1
  • Filed: 12/15/2017
  • Issued: 08/07/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2017
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of making a nanoporous layer, the method comprising:

  • providing a liquid composition comprising a surfactant and metal ions, wherein the surfactant is in a reverse micelle phase defining hydrophilic spaces, wherein at least part of the metal ions are kept inside the hydrophilic spaces;

    adding a reducing agent to the liquid composition to cause reduction of at least part of the metal ions to form nanoparticles, which provides a first colloid comprising the nanoparticles dispersed in a first liquid mixture containing the surfactant, wherein at least part of the hydrophilic spaces of the reverse micelle phase is maintained in the first colloid, wherein at least part of the nanoparticles are kept inside at least some of the hydrophilic spaces maintained in the first colloid; and

    removing the surfactant from the first colloid to form a second colloid, wherein removing the surfactant causes at least part of the nanoparticles get together and form a number of clusters, wherein the second colloid comprises the clusters dispersed in a second liquid mixture, wherein each cluster has an irregularly shaped body comprising a number of nanoparticles having a generally oval or spherical shape with a length ranging between about 2 nm and about 5 nm,subsequently, adjusting a concentration of the nanoparticles in the second colloid to provide a colloid composition such that the nanoparticles contained in the colloid composition are in an amount between about 0.01 wt % and about 2 wt % with reference to the total weight of the colloid composition;

    dispensing the colloid composition over a substrate; and

    subjecting the dispensed colloid composition to drying to form a nanoporous layer,wherein drying causes the irregularly shaped bodies of the clusters contained in the dispensed composition to deposit over the substrate such that adjacent ones of the irregularly shaped bodies abut one another at some surfaces or portions thereof while forming unoccupied spaces between non-abutting surfaces or portions of the adjacent ones of the irregularly shaped bodies,wherein abutments between adjacent ones of the irregularly shaped bodies connect the adjacent ones with one another, which continues to other ones of the irregularly shaped bodies to form a three-dimensional interconnected network of irregularly shaped bodies,wherein the unoccupied spaces between non-abutting surfaces or portions of the adjacent ones of the irregularly shaped bodies are irregularly shaped and connect with other unoccupied spaces formed by other ones of the irregularly shaped bodies,wherein connections between the unoccupied spaces form a three-dimensional interconnected network of irregularly shaped spaces that is geometrically complementary to and outside the three-dimensional interconnected network of irregularly shaped bodies inside the nanoporous layer,wherein the three-dimensional interconnected network of irregularly shaped bodies comprises numerous nanoparticles that originate from the irregularly shaped bodies of the clusters contained in the colloid composition,wherein, inside the three-dimensional interconnected network of irregularly shaped bodies, adjacent ones of the nanoparticles are apart from each other and form interparticular nanopores without an intervening nanoparticle therebetween,whereby the nanoporous layer comprises the interparticular nanopores inside the three-dimensional interconnected network of irregularly shaped bodies and further comprises the three-dimensional interconnected network of irregularly shaped spaces outside the three-dimensional interconnected network of irregularly shaped bodies,wherein at least part of the interparticular nanopores inside the three-dimensional interconnected network of irregularly shaped bodies are in a size ranging between about 0.5 nm and about 3 nm,wherein at least part of the irregularly shaped spaces of the three-dimensional interconnected network of irregularly shaped spaces are in a size ranging between about 100 nm and about 500 nm.

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