Method of producing metallic nano particle colloidal dispersions

• Main Author: Reed, Kenneth J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 07.05.2019
• Subjects: CASTING; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; NANOTECHNOLOGY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; POWDER METALLURGY; SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING METALLIC POWDER

The present process provides a method for synthesizing difficult to make oxide-free nanometals and such as Zn, Sn and Ti and alloys of the period 4 and 5 transition metal elements in a free and reduced state using a solution phase synthesis process. Also provided is a method for stabilizing their associated colloidal metal and alloy dispersions under kinetic control at modest temperatures (<90 degrees Celsius). A solution of an organic reducing agent containing at least two proximal nitrogen atoms is reacted with a separate solution containing one or more metal-organic salts dissolved in the same or different low molecular weight solvent as the reducing agent. The reaction products are stabilized with Lewis bases and Lewis acids and optionally can be concentrated by removing a portion of the volatile low molecular weight solvent by either the use of a partial vacuum or by chemical extraction into another phase.