Abstract
Nanomaterials with very specific features (purity, colloidal stability, composition, size, shape, location…) are commonly requested by cutting-edge technologic applications, and hence a sustainable process for the mass-production of tunable/engineered nanomaterials would be desirable. Despite this, tuning nano-scale features when scaling-up the production of nanoparticles/nanomaterials has been considered the main technological barrier for the development of nanotechnology. Aimed at overcoming these challenging frontier, a new gas-phase reactor design providing a shorter residence time, and thus a faster quenching of nanoclusters growth, is proposed for the green, sustainable, versatile, cost-effective, and scalable manufacture of ultrapure engineered nanomaterials (ranging from nanoclusters and nanoalloys to engineered nanostructures) with a tunable degree of agglomeration, composition, size, shape, and location. This method enables: (1) more homogeneous, non-agglomerated ultrapure Au-Ag nanoalloys under 10 nm; (2) 3-nm non-agglomerated ultrapure Au nanoclusters with lower gas flow rates; (3) shape-controlled Ag NPs; and (4) stable Au and Ag engineered nanostructures: nanodisks, nanocrosses, and 3D nanopillars. In conclusion, this new approach paves the way for the green and sustainable mass-production of ultrapure engineered nanomaterials.
Highlights
Today, materials are scaled down to the nanometer scale in the search for exciting new properties arising from confinement effects and the change in surface to volume ratio [1], reaching a global market of 11 million tonnes and €20 billion, according to the European Commission
Tunable or engineered nanomaterials have become highly appreciated building blocks for cutting-edge technologic applications [2], and their green and sustainable mass production according to nanomanufacturing criteria—scalability, reliability and commercial viability—[7], is a matter of environmental, economic, industrial, and societal concern, which is supported by the European Commission, strongly committed to finance “the green transition”
Greener methods in between them, based on the use of supercritical fluids, allow high purity nanomaterials with more environmentally benign solvents such as supercritical CO2, water, or ethanol, they demand expensive high-pressure equipment and more processing steps and reagents [10]. All those limitations are addressed within this study by means of a greener, sustainable, industrially scalable, versatile and cost-effective dry route able to manufacture tunable non-agglomerated nanoclusters, nanoalloys and ENSs in the gas phase, overcoming the main barrier for the development of nanotechnology
Summary
Materials are scaled down to the nanometer scale in the search for exciting new properties arising from confinement effects and the change in surface to volume ratio [1], reaching a global market of 11 million tonnes and €20 billion, according to the European Commission. Greener methods in between them, based on the use of supercritical fluids, allow high purity nanomaterials with more environmentally benign solvents such as supercritical CO2, water, or ethanol, they demand expensive high-pressure equipment and more processing steps and reagents [10]. All those limitations are addressed within this study by means of a greener, sustainable, industrially scalable, versatile and cost-effective dry route able to manufacture tunable non-agglomerated nanoclusters, nanoalloys and ENSs in the gas phase, overcoming the main barrier for the development of nanotechnology
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