Tailored interfaces between two dissimilar nano-materials and method of manufacture

摘要

Provided are methods to fabricate bulk quantities at relatively low-cost of isotropic homogeneous nanostructured materials with high interfacial area whose properties are controlled and optimized by tailored interfaces between discrete dissimilar materials. In a preferred embodiment, the material is formed by uniformly and intimately mixing nanoparticles of different composition and then compacting and consolidating them to near theoretical density by a process that minimizes grain growth and controls the structure of the interfacial film-like region. One preferred application of these materials is a fast ion conducting material that can be used as a solid electrolyte in gas electrolyzers, electrochemical pumps, gas sensors, catalytic reactors, and most importantly in fuel cells.

主权项

1. A process of synthesizing an isotropic nano-material having at least one property controlled by interfaces within the nano-material, the process comprising:
selecting a first plurality of nanoparticles comprising yttria stabilized zirconia; selecting a second plurality of nanoparticles comprising strontium titanate such that nanoparticles of the second plurality have a composition that is different from a composition of nanoparticles of the first plurality; homogeneously mixing the first and second pluralities of nanoparticles to form a mixture having nanoparticles of the first plurality surrounded by nanoparticles of the second plurality and nanoparticles of the second plurality surrounded by nanoparticles of the first plurality; compacting the mixture; consolidating the compacted mixture to form a first interface between nanoparticles of the first and second pluralities by setting a temperature to less than about 0.5 of the melting temperatures of the compacted mixture and a pressure to greater than about 0.3 GPa so as to induce a plastic deformation process while limiting diffusion-assisted flow processes in forming the first interface; and annealing the compacted and consolidated mixture at a temperature ranging from 200° C. to 400° C. such that atoms on surfaces of nanoparticles of the first and second pluralities undergo rearrangement and the first interface is converted to a second interface, the second interface being continuous, coherent, and stable.