The University of New Mexico

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Los Alamos National Laboratory, LLC

Unm.stc

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Claudia Luhrs

Jonathan Phillips

Monique Nathalie Richard

Zayd Chad Leseman

Marwan S Al-Haik

Paul Timothy Fanson

Angela Knapp

Mahmoud Reda Taha

Kimber Lee Stamm

Timothy James Blada

Haytham Soliman

Hugo Ricardo Zea-Ramirez

Hugo Zea

Aaron Dehne

Various embodiments provide methods of forming zero valent metal particles using an aerosol-reductive/expansion synthesis (A-RES) process. In one embodiment, an aerosol stream including metal precursor compound(s) and chemical agent(s) that produces reducing gases upon thermal decomposition can be introduced into a heated inert atmosphere of a RES reactor to form zero valent metal particles corresponding to metals used for the metal precursor compound(s).

Aerosol reduction/expansion synthesis (A-RES) for zero valent metal particles

Exemplary embodiments provide materials and methods for forming graphene-based exfoliated products with low oxygen contents by a reductive-expansion reaction from a physical mixture containing graphite-based precursor(s) and a chemical agent. Exemplary embodiments also provide materials and methods for forming graphene-based exfoliated products with controllable amounts of nitrogen and/or other impurities incorporated in the material structure as a result of a reductive-expansion reaction from a physical mixture containing graphite-based precursor(s) and a chemical agent.

Reductive-expansion synthesis of graphene

Various embodiments provide methods of forming metallic particles or carbon/graphite coated metallic particles with zero-valence from metal precursor compounds by a reductive/expansion synthesis method using nitrogen-hydrogen containing molecules.

Generation of metal and alloy micron, submicron, or nano particles in simple, rapid process

Disclosed is a process for making a composite material that contains structured particles. The process includes providing a first precursor in the form of a dry precursor powder, a precursor liquid, a precursor vapor of a liquid and/or a precursor gas. The process also includes providing a plasma that has a high field zone and passing the first precursor through the high field zone of the plasma. As the first precursor passes through the high field zone of the plasma, at least part of the first precursor is decomposed. An aerosol having a second precursor is provided downstream of the high field zone of the plasma and the decomposed first material is allowed to condense onto the second precursor to from structured particles.

Process to make structured particles

Disclosed is a process for making a composite material that contains core-shell structured nanoparticles. The process includes providing a precursor in the form of a powder a liquid and/or a vapor of a liquid that contains a core material and a shell material, and suspending the precursor in an aerosol gas to produce an aerosol containing the precursor. In addition, the process includes providing a plasma that has a hot zone and passing the aerosol through the hot zone of the plasma. As the aerosol passes through the hot zone of the plasma, at least part of the core material and at least part of the shell material in the aerosol is vaporized. Vapor that contains the core material and the shell material that has been vaporized is removed from the hot zone of the plasma and allowed to condense into core-shell structured nanoparticles.

Process to make core-shell structured nanoparticles

A hollow carbon sphere having a carbon shell and an inner core is disclosed. The hollow carbon sphere has a total volume that is equal to a volume of the carbon shell plus an inner free volume within the carbon shell. The inner free volume is at least 25% of the total volume. In some instances, a nominal diameter of the hollow carbon sphere is between 10 and 180 nanometers.

Process for making hollow carbon spheres

In accordance with various embodiments, there are nanostructured materials including WSnanostructures and composites of WSnanostructures and other materials and methods for synthesizing nanostructured materials. The method can include providing a plurality of precursor materials, wherein each of the plurality of precursor materials can include a tungsten reactant. The method can also include flowing, for a reaction time, a substantially continuous stream of carbon disulfide (CS) vapor in a carrier gas over the plurality of precursor materials at a temperature in the range of about 700&#xb0; C. to about 1000 C, wherein the reaction time is sufficient to permit the tungsten reactant to react with carbon disulfide to form a plurality of tungsten disulfide (WS) nanostructures.

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Exemplary embodiments provide methodologies for generating structures of filamentous carbon (or carbon filaments) with controlled geometries. In one exemplary embodiment of forming the carbon filament structure, a metal template can be exposed to a fuel rich gaseous mixture to form a carbon filament structure at an appropriate gas flow and/or at an appropriate temperature on the metal template. The metal template can have one or more metal surfaces with controlled geometries. Carbon filament structures can then be grown on the metal surfaces having corresponding geometries (or shapes) in the growth direction. The carbon filament structure can be two or three dimensional and can have high density. In various embodiments, the metal template can be removed to leave a self-supporting carbon filament structure.

Rapid generation of carbon filament structures of controlled geometries at low temperatures

Methods of manufacturing a carbon structure including exposing a carbon fiber substrate to oxygen at a first predetermined temperature and activating the carbon fiber substrate by exposure to oxygen at a second predetermined temperature. A catalyst including palladium is deposited on the activated carbon fiber substrate. The deposited catalyst on the carbon fiber structure is exposed to a hydrocarbon at a third predetermined temperature to grow carbon structures thereon. The carbon structures grown can be multimodal in nature with structures that are nano-scale and/or submicron-scale.

Methods of making multi-scale carbon structures

Disclosed is a material having a composite particle, the composite particle including an outer shell and a core. The core is made from a lithium alloying material and the outer shell has an inner volume that is greater in size than the core of the lithium alloying material. In some instances, the outer mean diameter of the outer shell is less than 500 nanometers and the core occupies between 5 and 99% of the inner volume. In addition, the outer shell can have an average wall thickness of less than 100 nanometers.

Material with core-shell structure

There is disclosed a process for producing metal oxide nanoparticles. The process includes the steps of: a) providing at least two precursor metal salt materials, b) passing the at least two precursor metal salt materials through a plasma torch forming a vaporized material, and then c) condensing the vaporized material forming a metal oxide nanoparticle.

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Rio Rancho, NM, United States of America

Claudia Luhrs