USA as Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Joseph V Ryan

Debra R Rolison

Celia I Merzbacher

Alan D Berry

Jeffery W Long

Catherine A Morris

Karen E Swider Lyons

Michelle L Anderson

Veronica M Cepak

An electrically conducting composite is made by providing an aerogel structure of nonconducting material, exposing the aerogel structure to a mixture of RuO and a nonpolar solvent in an inert atmosphere, wherein the mixture is held initially at a first temperature that is below the temperature at which RuO decomposes into RuO in the nonpolar solvent and in the presence of the aerogel, and allowing the mixture to warm to a second temperature that is above the temperature at which RuO decomposes to RuO in the nonpolar solvent and in the presence of the aerogel, wherein the rate of warming is controlled so that as the mixture warms and the RuO begins to decompose into RuO , the newly formed RuO is deposited throughout the aerogel structure as a three-dimensionally networked conductive deposit.

Electrically conducting ruthenium dioxide aerogel composite

A composite gel or aerogel is formed by commingling a particulate guest (such as a colloidal or dispersed (i.e., non-colloidal) solid or a powder) with a sol which is either about to gel or in which gelation has just started. After addition of the particulate, the mixture is then permitted to gel into a solid, gelled composite with open pores. This solid, gelled composite is then dried in a manner that prevents the collapse of open pores within the solid, gelled composite in which the gel acts as a &ldquo;nanoglue&rdquo; that holds the particles together.

Mesoporous composite gels an aerogels

An electrically conducting composite is made by providing an aerogel structure of nonconducting material, exposing the aerogel structure to a mixture of RuO,and a nonpolar solvent in an inert atmosphere, wherein the mixture is held initially at a first temperature that is below the temperature at which RuO,decomposes into RuO,in the nonpolar solvent and in the presence of the aerogel, and allowing the mixture to warm to a second temperature that is above the temperature at which RuO,decomposes to RuO,in the nonpolar solvent and in the presence of the aerogel, wherein the rate of warming is controlled so that as the mixture warms and the RuO,begins to decompose into RuO,, the newly formed RuO,is deposited throughout the aerogel structure as a three-dimensionally networked conductive deposit.

Electrically conducting ruthenium dioxide-aerogel composite

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Aurora, OH, United States of America

Joseph V Ryan