SBIR Phase I: Generation of Metal Nanojets and Precise Monosize Nanospheres

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发一种新的工艺，能够大批量生产任意金属成分的单分散纳米颗粒。这种高度受控的材料被期望作为工程化纳米结构的组分。目前用于金属纳米颗粒形成的标准沉淀或气溶胶方法在可用材料、粒度分布或生产率方面受到限制。 在该项目中，将使用对喷射过程的适应来形成金属纳米喷射和纳米颗粒。 由于这完全是一个物理过程，因此预计能够适应任何金属合金。第二，项目的具体任务将包括调查 对可能的方法进行了分析，对提出的工艺进行了分析，并对原型装置的关键部件进行了初步设计。 目标是能够以大于每秒1克的速率精确形成纳米射流和单尺寸纳米颗粒的系统。 在商业上，金属纳米颗粒有许多可能的长期应用。 纳米电子学和高密度数据存储是两个吸引人的例子。 所述技术的已建立的市场与本建议有关的最初机会最多，似乎是在下列领域：固体推进剂、炸药和催化剂。 单分散纳米颗粒将允许机械包装成有序的阵列结构用于过滤。 纳米颗粒的高表面积使其能够用作催化化学反应的基质。 在这些初始市场的支持下，许多其他市场的进一步创新和衍生技术（如氧化物陶瓷纳米颗粒和纳米图案化装置）将从这一新技术中发展出来。该技术提供了一种以商品价格生产大量单分散纳米球的方法。它还可以在纳米制造，材料和加工方面实现进一步的重大创新。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a novel process capable of high-volume production of monodisperse nanoparticles of arbitrary metallic composition. Such highly-controlled materials are desired as components for engineered nanostructures. The current standard precipitate or aerosol processes for metal nanoparticle formation are limited in available materials, the particle size distribution, or productivity. In this project an adaptation to jetting processes will be used to enable formation of metal nanojets and nanoparticles. Because this is entirely a physical process, it is expected to be able to be adapted to any metal alloy. second The specific tasks of the project will inolve survey of possible approaches, analyzing the proposed process, and preparing the preliminary design of the key parts of a prototype apparatus. The objective is a system capable of the precise formation of nanojets and monosize nanoparticles at rates greater than one gram per second. Commerically, there are many possible long-term applications for metal nanoparticles. Nanoelectronics and high-density data storage are two appealing examples. The established markets for the technology described with the most initial opportunity relevant to this proposal appear to be in the following fields: solid propellants, explosives, and catalysts. Monodisperse nanoparticles will allow mechanical packing into ordered array structures for filtration. The high surface area of nanoparticles enables their use as substrates for catalysis of chemical reactions. While supported by these initial markets, further innovation in many other markets and derivative technologies (such as oxide ceramic nanoparticles, and nano-patterning devices) will be developed from this new technology. This technology offers a means of producing significant quantities of monodisperse nano-spheres at commodity prices. It also enables further significant innovations in nanoscale fabrication, materials and processing.