Mass production of metal oxide nanoparticles and their integration into polymer coatings

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This Strategic Partnership project will address Canada's urgent need for developing a scalable process for the synthesis and deposition of next-generation nanoparticles (NPs) required for Advanced & Additive Manufacturing. Our unique methodology will develop a continuous reactor approach harnessing the power of supercritical fluids towards the mass production and purification of high performance 1-D metal oxide NPs in a simple flexible process. A continuous computerized reactor with online Raman & FTIR will be developed that works with a variety of metal alkoxide monomers (Ti, Zr, V, Zi) and their dopants (Bi, In, Cu) to produce high aspect ratio, high surface area, porous nanowires. Using the world leading facilities at the Canadian Light Source, we will examine the detailed mechanism of how metals are integrated into the molecular framework to control the nanoassembly and purification processes. Their integration into polymer laminates will be explored at a commercial lamination facility with ACTI, who are an ISO 9001 coating and lamination manufacturer. Our focus for these laminates will be to develop removable surfaces to combat biofouling by preventing organism attachment using a safe photocatalytic approach using our produced 1D metal oxides and their graphene assemblies. These functional antimicrobial surfaces will be applied to plasma treated two-sided tape, which can be as easily removed as Post-it notes for easy replacement and low cost installation. The mechanism of microbe attachment and removal from the surfaces and how light controls the 1D nanowires will be examined. The experimental results will be integrated into a detailed process model to control nanoparticle/laminate viscosity, thickness of layers and layer composition for demonstration trials of this technology. This proposal will provide a new way to mass produce high performance 1D nanowires and tubes suitable for Canadian industry in the emerging Additive Manufacturing area, while providing our supporting companies the ability to produce and utilize these next generation materials into high performance laminates and coatings.