Method of making chemically engineered metastable alloys and multiple components nanoparticles

US5834057A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States is represented by the Secretary of the Navy · US

Inventors

• Alan S. Edelstein · Alexandria, US
• Vincent G. Harris · Sharon, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 28, 1996
• Grant date: Nov 10, 1998
• Expiry date: Jun 28, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S977/89
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Nanoparticles of a mixed oxide precursor are reduced to form particles of a anostructured metastable alloy having a majority metal and a minority metal. Additional heating enriches the surfaces of the particles with respect to the minority metal, thus forming a coating on the particle core. This coating has a higher atomic ratio of minority to majority metal than found in the precursor. The nanostructured metastable alloys may then be oxidized to form nanoparticles having a coating of the oxide of the minority metal and a core of the majority metal or an oxide of the majority metal. The majority metal may be, for example, copper. The minority metal may be, for example, cobalt.