Washington University

Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

Michael James Wagner

Nathan A Banek

Dustin T Abele

Kevin R McKenzie, Jr

Louis Joseph Rendek, Jr

Dawson W Cagle

Thomas McKinnon

Keith Gneshin

Robert Ellis Doe

Kevin Hays

Jonathan Cox

The present disclosure relates to an improved process for the synthesis of hydrogen terminated silicon from Zintl phases. The hydrogen terminated silicon is useful, for example, as explosives, chemical and biochemical sensors, optoelectronic materials and Li-ion battery anode ion storage materials. The present disclosure also relates to an improved process for the synthesis of nanomaterials and composites from Zintl phases. The nanomaterials and composites are useful, for example, as ion storage materials.

Low temperature, high yield synthesis of hydrogen terminated highly porous amorphous silicon, and nanomaterials and composites from Zintl phases

High quality carbon nanochains or carbon nanotubes are produced by methods that include mixing a carbon-containing feedstock with a catalyst to form a feedstock/catalyst mixture, or coating a catalyst with a carbon-containing feedstock, and subjecting the feedstock/catalyst mixture or feedstock-coated catalyst to irradiation with a laser to convert the feedstock into carbon nanochains or carbon nanotubes in the presence of the catalyst. In some instances, the feedstock is converted to a char by pyrolysis and the char is instead subjected to laser irradiation. The carbon-containing feedstock can be a biomass or a carbonaceous material. In some instances, the catalyst is a metal salt, preferably a transition metal salt. In some instances, the catalyst is an elemental metal, an alloy, or a combination thereof.

Production of carbon nanochains and nanotubes from biomass

High quality flake graphite is produced by methods that include mixing a carbon-containing feedstock with a catalyst to form a feedstock/catalyst mixture, or coating a catalyst with a carbon-containing feedstock, and subjecting the mixture or feedstock-coated catalyst to irradiation with a laser to convert the feedstock into flake graphite in the presence of the catalyst. In some instances, the feedstock is converted to a char by pyrolysis and the char is instead subjected to laser irradiation. The feedstock can be a biomass or a carbonaceous material. The catalyst can be an elemental metal, an alloy, or a combination thereof. In some instances, methods described herein have been found to produce high quality flake graphite in the form of potato shaped agglomerates.

Methods and systems for the production of crystalline flake graphite from biomass or other carbonaceous materials

The present disclosure relates to an improved process for the synthesis of nanomaterials and composites from Zintl phases. The nanomaterials and composites are useful, for example, as ion storage materials.

Low temperature, high yield synthesis of nanomaterials and composites from Zintl phases

The present disclosure relates to composites of hollow carbon nanospheres (HCNS) and a metal, a metalloid, an alloy, a compound thereof, or any combination of the foregoing, and the use of such composites for making ion storage materials, such as negative electrode active material for lithium ion batteries.

Hollow carbon nanosphere composite based secondary cell electrodes

The inventive subject matter relates to hollow carbon nanospheres (HCNS) as a material for making ion storage material, and particularly lithium ion storage material used for batteries.

Hollow carbon nanosphere based secondary cell electrodes

A composition for forming an electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery includes a carbonaceous material combined with a fullerene material including fullerene species having a carbon content of C, where n&#x2267;100. The composition is heated to a temperature of 100&#xb0; C. or greater to facilitate reaction and/or diffusion of the fullerene material with the carbonaceous material, and also to remove lower molecular weight (C) fullerenes from the composition. In addition, other extraction techniques may be utilized in combination with heat treatment to selectively remove fullerene species from the fullerene material. The composition enhances the electrochemical performance of the electrode in the lithium ion battery.

Growing community of inventors

Rockville, MD, United States of America

Michael James Wagner