Porous Network with Surface-Resident Nanoparticles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for incorporating functional materials into solid supports often result in inaccessible nanoparticles due to embedding or agglomeration, limiting their effectiveness in applications like catalysis and sensing.

Innovation Solution

A method involving attaching nanometer-sized functional materials to sacrificial particles, arranging them into an assembly with interconnected pores, filling the pores, and removing the sacrificial particles to form a porous network structure with the functional materials predominantly on the surface, enhancing accessibility and utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If functional materials are added to solid support, then the functional materials can be utilized in applications, but the functional materials become inaccessible due to embedding or agglomeration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccessibility of functional materialsVSAvoidstructure of functional material arrangement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The functional material is divided into discrete nanometer-sized particles that are attached to sacrificial particles. This segmentation prevents agglomeration and ensures that each nanoparticle remains accessible and active, resolving the contradiction between utilizing functional materials and preventing their embedding or clumping.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Nanometer-sized functional materials are attached to sacrificial particles before assembling the final porous structure. This preliminary attachment ensures that the functional materials are positioned and protected prior to structure formation, preventing subsequent embedding or agglomeration issues.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Strength

If functional materials are embedded into solid support, then the solid support provides structural stability, but the functional materials become fully encased and inactive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural stability of supportVSAvoidactivity of functional materials

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A porous network structure is created using sacrificial particles as templates. The resulting structure has interconnected pores that prevent functional materials from being fully encased, while the solid material between pores provides structural stability. This resolves the contradiction between structural strength and functional material accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

Sacrificial particles serve as intermediaries during the fabrication process. They are attached to functional materials, used to create the porous structure, and then removed. This intermediary approach allows functional materials to be positioned correctly without being embedded in the final structure, maintaining both structural integrity and functional activity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If nanometer sized functional material is attached to sacrificial particles, then the functional material accessibility is improved, but the manufacturing process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccessibility of nanoparticlesVSAvoidfabrication process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The sacrificial particles self-assemble into ordered arrays that automatically create the porous network structure when removed. This self-organizing behavior simplifies the manufacturing process despite the multiple steps involved, as the system organizes itself rather than requiring complex external control mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The size of nanometer-sized functional materials is controlled to be less than 7.75% of the characteristic size of sacrificial particles. This parameter control ensures proper attachment and positioning while maintaining simplicity in the fabrication process, balancing accessibility improvement with manufacturing ease.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach ensures high accessibility and effective utilization of nanoparticles as catalysts and sensors, with improved surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates, and tailored optical properties, achieving enhanced performance in catalytic and sensing applications.

Implementation Method 1

arranging the nanomaterial-modified sacrificial particles into an assembly containing an arrangement of nanomaterial-modified sacrificial particles having an interconnected interstitial space of pores

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSelf-assembly: Self-Assembly

Data Source

PatentUS11325114B2High-surface area functional material coated structures

Publication Date: 2022.05.10 PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE

AI summary

Methods for forming an interconnected network of solid material and pores, with metal residing only at the air/solid interface of the interconnected network structure are described. In certain embodiments, nanoparticle decorated sacrificial particles can be used as sacrificial templates for the formation of a porous structure having an interconnected network of solid material and interconnected network of pores. The nanoparticles reside predominantly at the air/solid interface and allow further growth and accessibility of the nanoparticles at defined positions of the interconnected structure. SEM and TEM measurements reveal the formation of 3D interconnected porous structures with nanoparticles residing predominantly at the air/solid interface of the interconnected structure.