Background of ceramics

Nanomaterials

Kyu Hyoung Lee

Nanomaterials
0-dimensional nanomaterials : Nanoparticles
- Particle : a small object that behaves as a whole unit with respect to
its transport and properties
- Classification of particles according to diameter
 Coarse particles : 2,500 - 10,000 nm
 Fine particles : 100 - 2,500 nm
 Ultrafine particles (nanoparticles) : 1 - 100 nm
- Nanoparticles : bridge (bulk materials and atomic/molecular structures)
– Bulk materials : constant physical properties regardless of its size
- Nanomaterials (large surface area)
 Size-dependent properties
 Unexpected properties
Nanomaterials

0-dimensional nanomaterials : Nanoparticles

- Small enough to confine their electrons and produce quantum effects
- Au nanoparticles

 deep-red to black in solution

 melt at much lower temperatures (~300 °C for 2.5 nm, ~1064 °C)
- Improved absorption of solar radiation

 Photovoltaic : controlling the size, shape  control solar absorption

- TiO2 nanoparticles : self-cleaning effect

- ZnO nanoparticles : UV blocking

- High surface area to volume : tremendous driving force for diffusion
 Low sintering temperature
Nanomaterials

1-dimensional nanomaterials : Nanowires

- Nanostructure with the diameter of the order of a nanometer
- The ratio of the length to width being greater than 20

(Typical nanowires exhibit aspect ratios (length-to-width ratio) of >1000)

- Structures with a diameter constrained to tens of nanometers or less

(unconstrained length)
- Types of nanowires

 Metallic nanowires (e.g., Ni, Pt, Au)

 Semiconducting nanowires (e.g., Si, InP, GaN)

 Insulating nanowires (e.g., SiO2, TiO2)

Nanomaterials

1-dimensional nanomaterials : Nanowires

- Properties of nanowires

 Not seen in 3-dimensional bulk materials

 Electrons are quantum confined laterally

 Occupy different energy levels with those in bulk materials
- Applications of nanowires
 Electronic, opto-electronic and nanoelectromechanical devices
 Additives in advanced composites
(metallic interconnects in nanoscale quantum devices)
(leads for biomolecular nanosensors)
Nanomaterials

1-dimensional nanomaterials : Nanowires

- Electrical conductivity of nanowires

 Much less than that of the corresponding bulk material

 Scattering from the wire boundaries

(whenever the wire width is below the free electron mean free path)
(Cu nanowires ~40 nm)
- Welding

 Electric current  fuses the wire ends

 Single-crystalline ultrathin Au nanowires with diameters ~3-10 nm
 "cold-welded" together within seconds by mechanical contact alone
Nanomaterials

1-dimensional nanomaterials : Nanowires

- Applications – Active electronic elements

 1st step : Chemically doped semiconductor nanowire

 individual nanowires to create p-type and n-type semiconductors

 2nd step : Create a p–n junction
(a) physically cross a p-type wire over an n-type wire
(b) chemically doped single wire with different dopants along length
 3rd step : Build logic gates
 By connecting several p-n junctions together
 Semiconductor nanowire crossings
Nanomaterials
1-dimensional nanomaterials : CNTs
- Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)
 Allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure
 Length-to-diameter ratio of up to 132,000,000:1
 Extraordinary thermal conductivity (> 3,000 W/mK)
 High mechanical property (tensile strength ~63 GPa)
 High electrical property (electrical conductivity ~100,000 S/cm)
 Applications : Additives to various structural materials
- Single-walled nanotubes (SWNT)
 Diameter of close to 1 nm (tube length ~millions of times longer)
 Wrapping a one-atom-thick layer of graphite (graphene) into a cylinder
 Band gap : 0 - 2 eV  metallic or semiconducting
Nanomaterials

1-dimensional nanomaterials : CNTs

- Multi-walled CNT (MWNT)

 Multiple rolled layers (concentric tubes) of graphene

 Double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNT)

 Special class of nanotubes
 Morphology and properties are similar to those of SWNT
 Good resistance to chemicals
Nanomaterials

1-dimensional nanomaterials : Nanowires

- Synthesis of nanowires

 Spontaneous anisotropic crystal structures

 Seed-initiated growth
 Templating (filling/coating)
 Kinetic control by organic surfactants
 Self-assembly
 Size reduction
 Transforming via chemical reaction
 Electrospinning