SBIR Phase I: Continuous Production of Quantum Dots from Aerosol

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将专注于开发持续生产高质量纳米粒子(量子点)的新的廉价技术。初步结果表明，气溶胶-流法可用于连续生产高质量、廉价的硫化镉、硒镉、碲镉和氧化锌纳米颗粒。该项目的目标是为合成量子点创造一种新的制造工艺。提出了一种用于连续生产纳米粒子的化学气溶胶流动合成方法，其中纳米粒子合成的反应在高沸点溶剂的液滴中进行。因此，化学反应的机理类似于间歇法。然而，该方法在步骤和实验装置上要简单得多，价格低廉，可扩展，并允许在连续流动方案中合成高质量的纳米颗粒。拟议研究的主要重点是为生产高质量纳米颗粒寻找最佳的技术和物理化学条件。在商业上，这项技术将对广泛的市场具有吸引力。这项技术可以连续生产半导体量子点、纳米氧化物和纳米金属，并将在纳米材料市场发挥重要作用。如果这项提议成功，预计将对未来的纳米技术产生重大影响。原因是半导体、金属和氧化物纳米粒子是未来技术和研究最理想的材料之一。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will focus on the development of new and inexpensive techniques for continuous production of high quality nanoparticles (quantum dots). Preliminary results indicate that aerosol-flow methods can be used for the continuous production of high quality, inexpensive CdS, CdSe, CdTe and ZnO nanoparticles. The objective of this project is to create a new manufacturing process for the synthesis of quantum dots. A chemical aerosol flow synthesis for the continuous production of nanoparticles is proposed where reaction of nanoparticles synthesis proceeds inside droplets of high boiling point solvents. Thus the mechanism of chemical reactions is similar to a batch method. The method however is much simpler in procedure and experimental setup, is inexpensive, scalable, and allows for the synthesis of high quality nanoparticles in a continuous flow regimen. Primary focus of proposed research is to find optimal technical and physico-chemical conditions for the production of high quality nanoparticles. Commercially, the technology will be attractive to a wide range of markets. The technology allows for continuous production of semiconductor quantum dots, nanooxides, and nanometals and will play significant role in the market of nanomaterials.It is expected that the outcome of this proposal will have great impact on future nanotechnology if successful. The reason is that semiconductor, metal, and oxide nanoparticles are among the most desired materials for future technology and research.