Method for dissolving atoms in metal

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for dissolving atoms in a metal, and provides a method for easily dissolving atoms in a metal having low solubility for the atoms by using, as a mediator, a metal which has high solubility for the atoms. Thus, elements such as carbon (C), boron (B), and nitrogen (N) can be stably introduced into metals in which these elements cannot be dissolved by using existing techniques or have very low solubility, thereby enabling the synthesis of new compounds and doped metals or alloys, resulting in improved physical properties of a metal, for example, properties such as strength, corrosion resistance, and conductivity.

Description

Method of dissolving atoms in metals

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for dissolving atoms in a metal.

[0002] The technology of introducing elements like carbon, boron, and nitrogen into metals is primarily used in materials science, semiconductors, superconductors, and the electronics industry. For example, introducing carbon into metals increases their strength and corrosion resistance, enabling the production of alloys like steel. Boron and nitrogen play a crucial role in the development of semiconductor devices and superconductors. This technology not only enables the synthesis of new compounds and doped metals and alloys, but also offers the potential to develop even more innovative materials by introducing carbon (C), boron (B), and nitrogen (N) in novel ways into existing materials (e.g., diamond, graphite, hexagonal boron nitride, cubic boron nitride, etc.).

[0003] Conventional techniques have struggled to dissolve elements like carbon, boron, and nitrogen in most metals. Carbon dissolves in metals like iron (Fe), but is barely soluble in metals like copper (Cu) and gold (Au). This has limited the ability to introduce elements into various metals to create new materials or improve their physical properties. In particular, the effective introduction of these elements into metals with low or no solubility presents a critical drawback: it's difficult to do so effectively.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for research and development of new dissolution and doping technologies that can easily introduce elements such as carbon, boron, and nitrogen into various metals.

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present inventors have an object to provide a method for easily dissolving atoms or carbon anions in metals having low solubility in atoms or carbon anions.

[0006] In order to achieve the above purpose, the inventors of the present invention have continuously conducted research to develop a method for easily dissolving atoms in a metal having low solubility for atoms. As a result, they have discovered that when a metal having high solubility for atoms is used as a medium, atoms can move from the metal having high solubility and be stably transferred even in a metal having low solubility or insolubility, thereby enabling the synthesis of new compounds and doped alloys from various metals, thereby completing the present invention.

[0007] The present invention provides a method for dissolving atoms in a metal, comprising the steps of (a) dissolving atoms in a first metal; and (b) dissolving atoms in the second metal by mixing or contacting the first metal with the dissolved atoms, wherein the atoms are carbon, nitrogen, or boron, the first metal is soluble in the atoms, and the second metal is insoluble in the atoms.

[0008] In one embodiment, step (a) comprises contacting a first metal with an atom source, wherein the first metal is a solid, and the atom source is a gas containing atoms. In one embodiment, when the atoms are carbon, the atom source may be a hydrocarbon gas.

[0009] In one embodiment, when mixing in step (b), if the second metal is in a liquid phase, the second metal may be a metal that can be alloyed with the first metal.

[0010] In one embodiment, when the atom is carbon, the first metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, and Mn, and the second metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Hg, Ga, Sn, In, Sb, Th, As, Ba, Bi, Br, Cd, Cs, K, Na, P, Rb, Sr, Te, Tl, Zn, Cu, Au, Ag, Ge, and Pb.

[0011] In one embodiment, when contact is made in step (b), the first metal may be in a solid phase and the second metal may be in a liquid phase, and the first metal and the second metal may not form an alloy.

[0012] In one embodiment, when the atom is carbon, the first metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, Mn, Mo, Ti, V, Hf, Sc, Ta, La, and Ce, and the second metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of In, Sn, Li, Na, K, and Pb.

[0013] In one embodiment, when the atom is boron, the first metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Fe, and Mn, and the second metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Bi, Ge, Pb, Sb, Sn, Te, Tl, Zn, As, Br, Cs, In, K, Na, P, Rb, and Sr.

[0014] In one embodiment, when the atom is nitrogen, the first metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Al, Ti, Cr, W, etc., and the second metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Ag, As, Au, Ba, Be, Bi, (C), Cd, Cs, Cu, Ge, Hg, Ir, K, Na, P, Pb, Pd, Pt, Re, Rh, Ru, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Te, TI, Zn, La, and Ce.

[0015] The method for dissolving atoms in a metal of the present invention provides a method for easily dissolving atoms in a metal with low solubility in atoms using a metal that is highly soluble in the atoms as a medium. This allows for the stable introduction of elements such as carbon (C), boron (B), and nitrogen (N) into metals that are insoluble or have very low solubility using existing techniques, thereby enabling the synthesis of new compounds and doped metals or alloys, thereby improving the physical properties of the metal, such as strength, corrosion resistance, and conductivity.

[0016] Furthermore, the melting method according to one embodiment enables the development of a variety of new materials and chemicals previously impossible to synthesize using conventional synthesis methods by adding elements to existing materials (e.g., diamond, graphite, hexagonal boron nitride, etc.) in a novel manner. These introduced elements can impart new properties to metals or alloys during the cooling process from high temperatures, suggesting promising applications in fields such as materials engineering and the development of semiconductors and superconductors.

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram briefly illustrating a method for dissolving atoms in a metal according to one embodiment. Ms is a solid metal, and Mliq is a liquid metal.

[0018] The present invention will be described in more detail below. However, the following specific examples or examples are merely references for describing the present invention in detail, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be implemented in various forms.

[0019] Additionally, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0020] Additionally, the singular forms used in the specification and the appended claims are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0021] In addition, units used in this specification without special mention are based on weight, and for example, units of % or ratio mean weight% or weight ratio, and weight% means the weight% that any one component of the entire composition occupies in the composition unless otherwise defined.

[0022] Additionally, the numerical ranges used herein include lower and upper limits and all values ​​within that range, increments logically derived from the shape and width of the defined range, all doubly defined values, and all possible combinations of upper and lower limits of numerical ranges defined in different shapes. Unless otherwise specifically defined in the specification of the present invention, values ​​outside the numerical range that may arise due to experimental error or rounding of values ​​are also included in the defined numerical range.

[0023] The term “low solubility metal” as used herein means a metal having a solubility in atoms or carbon anions of less than 0.01 atomic percent.

[0024] The term "includes" as used herein is an open-ended description equivalent to expressions such as "comprises," "contains," "has," or "characterizes," and does not exclude additional elements, materials, or processes not listed herein.

[0025] The present invention will be described in detail below.

[0026] The present invention provides a method for dissolving atoms in a metal, comprising the steps of: (a) dissolving atoms in a first metal; and (b) dissolving the atoms in the second metal by mixing or contacting the first metal with the dissolved atoms. Specifically, the atoms are carbon, nitrogen, or boron, the first metal is soluble in the atoms, and the second metal may be insoluble in the atoms. The dissolution method can easily dissolve carbon, nitrogen, or boron atoms in the second metal, which is insoluble or has low solubility in the atoms.

[0027] In one embodiment, the first metal may have a higher atomic solubility than the second metal, and the solubility for the atoms may be greater than 0.1 atomic % or greater than 0.2 atomic %.

[0028] In one embodiment, the second metal may be insoluble in the atom, or may be a metal having low atomic solubility, specifically having a solubility in the atom of less than 0.01 atomic percent.

[0029] In the present invention, the solubility and insolubility of metal atoms can be defined using commonly known or publicly known definitions, and the solubility, dissolution, and insolubility of atoms can be determined by referring to experimental data from known literature, etc. For example, the solubility / insolubility of metal atoms can be determined by analyzing the phase stability at a specific temperature and composition using thermodynamic analysis, dissolution experiments, Pourbaix diagrams, electrochemical methods, chemical analysis, molecular dynamics simulations, and phase diagrams.

[0030] In one embodiment, step (a) may utilize a conventional or known method for dissolving atoms in the first metal. Non-limiting examples include a solid-state diffusion method in which a specific element is applied to the metal surface at a high temperature and then penetrated therein; a melting and implantation method in which a specific element is added and mixed after the metal is molten; and a heat treatment method in which a high-temperature heat treatment is applied to adsorb atoms on the metal surface. In addition, an ion implantation technique in which a specific element is implanted onto the metal surface using a high-energy ion beam; a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method in which a gas containing a specific element is reacted at a high temperature to deposit it on the metal surface; and a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method in which a physical deposition is performed through evaporation or sputtering may be used, but are not limited thereto.

[0031] In one embodiment, step (a) may include contacting the first metal with an atom source to dissolve atoms within the first metal. The method of contacting may be easily controlled depending on the phases of the first metal and the atom source. For example, when the first metal is solid and the atom source is gaseous, the contact may be made by creating an atmosphere of the gaseous atom source on the surface of the first metal. Alternatively, when the first metal is solid and the atom source is liquid, the contact may be made by immersing the first metal in a liquid atom source or by applying the atom source to the surface of the first metal.

[0032] In one embodiment, the first metal may be in a liquid or solid state, and specifically may be in a solid state. In addition, the first metal may exist in various forms, such as particles, nanoparticles, wires, nanowire rods, and foils.

[0033] In one embodiment, the atomic source may be a gaseous, liquid, or solid substance containing carbon, nitrogen, or boron atoms. Specifically, the atomic source may be a gaseous compound containing atoms.

[0034] In one embodiment, when the atom is carbon, the atom source is a hydrocarbon gas, specifically methane (CH4), propane (C3H8), butane (C4H 10 ), ethylene (C2H4), acetylene (C2H2), etc., C1-15 or C1-7 hydrocarbon gas. Or, the atom source may be benzene (C6H6), toluene (C7H8), xylene (C8H 10 ) and may be a hydrocarbon compound such as graphite, activated carbon, silicon carbide, carbon black, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0035] In one embodiment, when the atom is nitrogen, the atom source may be a nitrogen-containing gas such as nitrogen gas (N2), ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O), and the like, and may include, but is not limited to, liquid ammonia (Liquid NH3), liquid nitrogen (Liquid N2), hydrazine (H2N2), or ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), sodium nitrite (NaNO2), sodium nitrate (NaNO3).

[0036] In one embodiment, when the atom is boron, boron trifluoride (BF3), boron trichloride (BCl3), boron hydride (B2H6), boric acid (H3BO3), boron alkoxide, boron triethyl (B(C2H5)3), elemental boron, boric acid (H3BO3), boron nanoparticles, etc. may be used, but are not limited thereto.

[0037] In one embodiment, step (b) may be a step of moving atoms in the first metal, in which atoms manufactured in step (a) are dissolved, to the second metal.

[0038] In one embodiment, step (b) may be a method of dissolving atoms within a second metal by mixing the first metal and the second metal in which the atoms are dissolved. Specifically, when selecting a mixing method, the second metal may be in a liquid state, and in this case, the second metal may be a metal capable of being alloyed with the first metal.

[0039] In one embodiment, when the atom is carbon, a first metal and a second metal in which carbon is dissolved may be mixed, wherein the second metal may be a metal that is liquid and alloyable with the first metal. Specifically, the first metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, and Mn, and the second metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Hg, Ga, Sn, In, Sb, Th, As, Ba, Bi, Br, Cd, Cs, K, Na, P, Rb, Sr, Te, Tl, Zn, Cu, Au, Ag, Ge, and Pb.

[0040] In another embodiment, step (b) may involve contacting the first metal and the second metal, wherein the atoms are dissolved, to dissolve the atoms within the second metal. Specifically, when selecting the method of contact, the first metal may be in a solid state, the second metal may be in a liquid state, and the first and second metals may not form an alloy.

[0041] In one embodiment, when the atom is carbon, the carbon may contact a first metal and a second metal in which the first metal is dissolved, wherein the first metal may be in a solid phase and the second metal may be in a liquid phase, and the first metal and the second metal may not form an alloy. Specifically, the first metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, Mn, Mo, Ti, V, Hf, Sc, Ta, La, and Ce, and the second metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of In, Sn, Li, Na, K, and Pb.

[0042] In one embodiment, when the atom is boron, the first metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Fe, and Mn, and the second metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Bi, Ge, Pb, Sb, Sn, Te, Tl, Zn, As, Br, Cs, In, K, Na, P, Rb, and Sr.

[0043] In one embodiment, when the atom is nitrogen, the first metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Al, Ti, Cr, W, etc., and the second metal may be at least one selected from the group consisting of Ag, As, Au, Ba, Be, Bi, (C), Cd, Cs, Cu, Ge, Hg, Ir, K, Na, P, Pb, Pd, Pt, Re, Rh, Ru, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Te, TI, Zn, La, and Ce.

[0044] The present invention will be described in more detail based on the following examples. However, the following examples are merely illustrative examples for further explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0045] [Physical property evaluation method]

[0046] 1. Solubility evaluation

[0047] The solubility of elements or carbon anions and metals or the solubility between metals (alloyability) was evaluated based on the binary phase diagram between the components.

[0048]

[0049] [Example 1]

[0050] (111) Ni foil with a surface was fixed to two copper electrodes in a chamber and slowly heated to 1100°C by resistance heating (Joule heating) for 1 h in a mixed gas flow atmosphere of 50 sccm H2 and 50 sccm Ar at atmospheric pressure (760 Torr). Subsequently, carbon was dissolved in the Ni foil at 1100°C for 1 h while CH3 diluted (0.3%) in Ar flowed at 20 sccm, thereby manufacturing Ni111(C)Ni foil containing 1.0 at.% of C (carbon) where C atoms are located in the octahedral pore sites of Ni.

[0051] The Ni111(C)Ni foil and Sn pellets manufactured above were placed in a graphite crucible connected to a copper electrode and heated at 1000°C for 1 hour under an Ar atmosphere, thereby finally obtaining an alloy (1:100:10000 (atom%) (=C:Ni:Sn), atomic ratio) in which carbon atoms were dissolved.

[0052]

[0053] [Example 2]

[0054] A Na metal layer (Mliq) and a Ni foil (Ms) with a (111) surface were sequentially placed on a flat graphite plate in a chamber. Subsequently, the Ni foil, fixed to two copper electrodes, was heated at 500°C for 4 h in an Ar atmosphere by a resistance heating (Joule heating) method. After cooling by cutting off the current, it was confirmed that the graphite plate layer located under the Na metal layer had thickened.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 1, in the above embodiment 2, Ni foil is used as Ms, and the Na metal layer can receive a continuous supply of C (carbon) diffused through the Ni foil. The Ni foil (Ms) does not mix with liquid Na (Mliq), and the C atoms can diffuse through the thin Mliq layer to grow new diamond from a diamond single crystal or grow new carbon on other carbon allotropes or other substrates.

[0056] Therefore, the method for dissolving atoms in metal according to one embodiment of the present invention can confirm the possibility of synthesizing new materials by injecting carbon (C), boron (B), and nitrogen (N) atoms into generally insoluble metals. Furthermore, the method can produce new compounds and doped metals and alloys by pre-loading or continuously supplying carbon to a metal sheet, and can be widely applied in various industrial fields, including materials science and chemistry.

[0057] The above-described contents are merely examples of application of the principles of the present disclosure, and other configurations may be further included without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and the present invention is not limited to the above description, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and variations from this description.

[0058] Therefore, the idea of ​​the present invention should not be limited to the above-described description, and all things that are equivalent or equivalent to the following claims as well as the claims are considered to fall within the scope of the idea of ​​the present invention.

Claims

1. (a) a step of dissolving atoms in a first metal; and (b) a step of dissolving atoms in the second metal by mixing or contacting the first metal and the second metal in which atoms are dissolved; The above atoms are carbon, nitrogen or boron, The above first metal is soluble in the above atom, The above second metal is a method for dissolving atoms in a metal that is insoluble in the above atoms.

2. In paragraph 1, The above step (a) is to contact the first metal with the atom source, A method for dissolving atoms in a metal, wherein the first metal is in a solid state and the atom source is a gaseous compound containing atoms.

3. In paragraph 2, A method of dissolving atoms in a metal, wherein the atom source is a hydrocarbon gas when the atom is carbon.

4. In paragraph 1, When mixing in step (b) above, A method for dissolving atoms in a metal, wherein the second metal is a metal that can be alloyed with the first metal, if the second metal is in a liquid state.

5. In paragraph 4, If the atom is carbon, The above first metal is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, and Mn, A method for dissolving atoms in a metal, wherein the second metal is at least one selected from the group consisting of Hg, Ga, Sn, In, Sb, Th, As, Ba, Bi, Br, Cd, Cs, K, Na, P, Rb, Sr, Te, Tl, Zn, Cu, Au, Ag, Ge and Pb.

6. In paragraph 1, If contact is made in step (b) above, The above first metal is in a solid state and the second metal is in a liquid state, A method for dissolving atoms in metals in which the first metal and the second metal do not form an alloy.

7. In paragraph 6, If the atom is carbon, The above first metal is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, Fe, Co, Mn, Mo, Ti, V, Hf, Sc, Ta, La and Ce, A method for dissolving atoms in a metal, wherein the second metal is at least one selected from the group consisting of In, Sn, Li, Na, K, and Pb.

8. In paragraph 1, If the atom is boron, The above first metal is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Fe, and Mn, A method for dissolving atoms in a metal, wherein the second metal is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Bi, Ge, Pb, Sb, Sn, Te, Tl, Zn, As, Br, Cs, In, K, Na, P, Rb, and Sr.

9. In paragraph 1, If the atom is nitrogen, The above first metal is at least one selected from the group consisting of Fe, Al, Ti, Cr, and W, A method for dissolving atoms in a metal, wherein the second metal is at least one selected from the group consisting of Ag, As, Au, Ba, Be, Bi, (C), Cd, Cs, Cu, Ge, Hg, Ir, K, Na, P, Pb, Pd, Pt, Re, Rh, Ru, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Te, TI, Zn, La and Ce.

Images