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At least 1,099 records · Page 61

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI2012

Gold nanostructures and methods of use

The invention is drawn to novel nanostructures comprising hollow nanospheres and nanotubes for use as chemical sensors, conduits for fluids, and electronic conductors. The nanostructures can be used in microfluidic devices, for transporting fluids between devices and structures in analytical devices, for conducting electrical currents between devices and structure in analytical devices, and for conducting electrical currents between biological molecules and electronic devices, such as bio-microchips.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2012

Methods of making metal oxide nanostructures and methods of controlling morphology of same

The present invention includes a method of producing a crystalline metal oxide nanostructure. The method comprises providing a metal salt solution and providing a basic solution; placing a porous membrane between the metal salt solution and the basic solution, wherein metal cations of the metal salt solution and hydroxide ions of the basic solution react, thereby producing a crystalline metal oxide nanostructure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2014

Method of making nanopatterns and nanostructures and nanopatterned functional oxide materials

Method for nanopatterning of inorganic materials, such as ceramic (e.g. metal oxide) materials, and organic materials, such as polymer materials, on a variety of substrates to form nanopatterns and/or nanostructures with control of dimensions and location, all without the need for etching the materials and without the need for re-alignment between multiple patterning steps in forming nanostructures, such as heterostructures comprising multiple materials. The method involves patterning a resist-coated substrate using electron beam lithography, removing a portion of the resist to provide a patterned resist-coated substrate, and spin coating the patterned resist-coated substrate with a liquid precursor, such as a sol precursor, of the inorganic or organic material. The remaining resist is removed and the spin coated substrate is heated at an elevated temperature to crystallize the deposited precursor material.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2014

Metal sulfide and rare-earth phosphate nanostructures and methods of making same

The present invention provides a method of producing a crystalline metal sulfide nanostructure. The metal is a transitional metal or a Group IV metal. In the method, a porous membrane is placed between a metal precursor solution and a sulfur precursor solution. The metal cations of the metal precursor solution and sulfur ions of the sulfur precursor solution react, thereby producing a crystalline metal sulfide nanostructure.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2012

Nanostructured Materials for Improved Photovoltaics

This research addresses the fundamental issues of cell morphology and phase dimensions that determine conversion efficiency in polymeric organic photovoltaic devices. The approach will help explain the relationships between morphological control, domain size, and power conversion efficiency in OPV devices, with the goal of providing direction for development of OPV systems with greater efficiency. The program addresses the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy goals of providing economically sustainable clean energy technologies to reduce dependence on foreign oil. This research focused on synthesis, fabrication and analysis of both active and protective layers for improved organic and inorganic hybrid PV (PhotoVoltaic) materials. A systematic study of phase size, shape, and distance was conducted to determine the effects of morphology in each process. Four classes of nanostructured materials were studied: 1) functional block copolymers (AB, acceptor-donor blocks) that self-assemble into matched domain sizes 2) synthetic core-shell particles with separate acceptor and donor layers 3) bacterial micro-compartment (BMC) proteins as self-assembling shells for core-shell nanoparticle constructs and 4) polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanostructured chemicals for enhanced efficiency and durability.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2015

Molybdenum and tungsten nanostructures and methods for making and using same

The present invention provides molybdenum and tungsten nanostructures, for example, nanosheets and nanoparticles, and methods of making and using same, including using such nanostructures as catlysts for hydrogen evolution reactions.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2015

Process Development for Nanostructured Photovoltaics

Photovoltaic manufacturing is an emerging industry that promises a carbon-free, nearly limitless source of energy for our nation. However, the high-temperature manufacturing processes used for conventional silicon-based photovoltaics are extremely energy-intensive and expensive. This high cost imposes a critical barrier to the widespread implementation of photovoltaic technology. Argonne National Laboratory and its partners recently invented new methods for manufacturing nanostructured photovoltaic devices that allow dramatic savings in materials, process energy, and cost. These methods are based on atomic layer deposition, a thin film synthesis technique that has been commercialized for the mass production of semiconductor microelectronics. The goal of this project was to develop these low-cost fabrication methods for the high efficiency production of nanostructured photovoltaics, and to demonstrate these methods in solar cell manufacturing. We achieved this goal in two ways: 1) we demonstrated the benefits of these coatings in the laboratory by scaling-up the fabrication of low-cost dye sensitized solar cells; 2) we used our coating technology to reduce the manufacturing cost of solar cells under development by our industrial partners.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2015

Covalently functionalized carbon nanostructures and methods for their separation

The present invention is directed to carbon nanostructures, e.g., carbon nanotubes, methods of covalently functionalizing carbon nanostructures, and methods of separating and isolating covalently functionalized carbon. In some embodiments, carbon nanotubes are reacted with alkylating agents to provide water soluble covalently functionalized carbon nanotubes. In other embodiments, carbon nanotubes are reacted with a thermally-responsive agent and exposed to light in order to separate carbon nanotubes of a specific chirality from a mixture of carbon nanotubes.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2015

Tuning and synthesis of metallic nanostructures by mechanical compression

The present invention provides a pressure-induced phase transformation process to engineer metal nanoparticle architectures and to fabricate new nanostructured materials. The reversible changes of the nanoparticle unit cell dimension under pressure allow precise control over interparticle separation in 2D or 3D nanoparticle assemblies, offering unique robustness for interrogation of both quantum and classic coupling interactions. Irreversible changes above a threshold pressure of about 8 GPa enables new nanostructures, such as nanorods, nanowires, or nanosheets.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2016

Gold nanostructures and methods of use

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2016

Metal sulfide and rare-earth phosphate nanostructures and methods of making same

The present invention provides a method of producing a crystalline rare earth phosphate nanostructure. The method comprising: providing a rare earth metal precursor solution and providing a phosphate precursor solution; placing a porous membrane between the metal precursor solution and the phosphate precursor solution, wherein metal cations of the metal precursor solution and phosphate ions of the phosphate precursor solution react, thereby producing a crystalline rare earth metal phosphate nanostructure.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2017

Conductive transition metal oxide nanostructured electrochromic material and optical switching devices constructed thereof

An electrochromic device includes a nanostructured transition metal oxide bronze layer that includes one or more transition metal oxide and one or more dopant, a solid state electrolyte, and a counter electrode. The nanostructured transition metal oxide bronze selectively modulates transmittance of near-infrared (NIR) spectrum and visible spectrum radiation as a function of an applied voltage to the device.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Methods of fabricating nanostructures and nanowires and devices fabricated therefrom

One-dimensional nanostructures having uniform diameters of less than approximately 200 nm. These inventive nanostructures, which we refer to as "nanowires", include single-crystalline homostructures as well as heterostructures of at least two single-crystalline materials having different chemical compositions. Because single-crystalline materials are used to form the heterostructure, the resultant heterostructure will be single-crystalline as well. The nanowire heterostructures are generally based on a semiconducting wire wherein the doping and composition are controlled in either the longitudinal or radial directions, or in both directions, to yield a wire that comprises different materials. Examples of resulting nanowire heterostructures include a longitudinal heterostructure nanowire (LOHN) and a coaxial heterostructure nanowire (COHN).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2018

Nanostructured metal amides and nitrides for hydrogen storage

Nanostructured metal amides and nitrides are incorporated into nanoporous templates, such as carbon, using liquid ammonia as a solvent/reagent. This leads to unexpected improvements in metal amide nanoconfined hydrogen storage materials. The resulting nanostructured materials may reversibly absorb and desorb large capacities of hydrogen under conditions that are much milder compared to what has been achieved with bulk materials. In addition, the nanoconfined materials may reduce the amounts of ammonia released upon dehydriding, which may make the released hydrogen gas purer and may limit the capacity loss. In addition, nanoconfinement may simplify the reaction mechanism, eliminating undesired metal imide intermediates and promote hydrogen cycling under mild conditions. The liquid ammonia method also allows the simultaneous introduction of catalytic additives along with the parent hydrogen storage material.

Stavila, Vitalie↗

DOE OSTI2014

Annealed nanostructured thin film catalyst

This disclosure provides methods of making an enhanced activity nanostructured thin film catalyst by radiation annealing, typically laser annealing, typically under inert atmosphere. Typically the inert gas has a residual oxygen level of 100 ppm. Typically the irradiation has an incident energy fluence of at least 30 mJ/mm2. In some embodiments, the radiation annealing is accomplished by laser annealing. In some embodiments, the nanostructured thin film catalyst is provided on a continuous web.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2020

Method for making metal-nanostructured carbon composites

A method for making covetic metal-nanostructured carbon composites or compositions is described herein. This method is advantageous, in that it provides substantially oxygen-free covetic materials and allows precise control of the composition of the covetic material to be produced. The method comprises introducing carbon into a molten metal in a heated reactor under low oxygen partial pressure, while passing an electric current through the molten metal. The reactor is heated at a temperature sufficient to form a network of nanostructured carbon within a matrix of the metal. After heating the covetic material is recovered from the reactor.

Balachandran, Uthamalingam↗

DOE OSTI2021

Methods of forming nano-catalyst material for fabrication of anchored nanostructure materials

Methods of producing a nano-catalyst material including forming a plurality of nano-scale features on a surface of a substrate material. The nano-catalyst material may be used for forming anchored nanostructure materials by heating the nano-catalyst material under a protective atmosphere to a temperature ranging from about 450° C. to about 1500° C. and exposing the heated nano-catalyst to an organic vapor to affix a separate nanostructure to each of the plurality of nano-scale features. The nano-scale features may be formed on the surface of the substrate material by mechanical or thermal processes.

Menchhofer, Paul A.↗

DOE OSTI2022

System and methods for fabricating boron nitride nanostructures

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to boron nitride nanomaterials. In one aspect, a method includes generating a directed flow of plasma. A boron-containing species is introduced to the directed flow of the plasma. Boron nitride nanostructures are formed in a chamber. In another aspect, a method includes generating a directed flow of plasma using nitrogen gas. A boron-containing species is introduced to the directed flow of the plasma. The boron-containing species can consist of boron powder, boron nitride powder, and/or boron oxide powder. Boron nitride nanostructures are formed in a chamber, with a pressure in the chamber being about 3 atmospheres or greater.

Fathalizadeh, Aidin↗