The present disclosure generally relates to composite nanomaterials and micromaterials. More particularly, the disclosure relates to crystalline, composite nanomaterials and micromaterials encapsulated in an amorphous material.
Because of the unique properties (e.g., physical, chemical, mechanical, and optical) possessed by materials at the nano- and microscale level, it is sometimes necessary and/or desirable to coat substrates with such materials in order to achieve commercial applicability. Key considerations for such coatings are that they are durable, well-adhered to the substrate, and that the process does not adversely impact the desirable properties of such materials.
One example of a nano- or microscale material that exhibits desirable properties and which could find commercial applications as a coating on various substrates (e.g., glass) is vanadium oxide. Vanadium oxide undergoes a reversible insulator—metal phase transition in response to increasing temperature with the specific switching temperature being tunable as a function of size and dopant concentration. The phase transition is accompanied by alteration of optical transmittance; the low-temperature monoclinic phase of VO2 is infrared-transmissive, whereas the high-temperature rutile phase is infrared-reflective.
In an aspect, the present disclosure provides composite nanomaterials and micromaterials (e.g., vanadium oxide nanomaterials and micromaterials). The composite materials comprise nano- and micromaterials encapsulated in an amorphous or crystalline (e.g., semicrystalline, polycrystalline, or single crystalline) material. The nano- and micromaterials are crystalline. The amorphous material or crystalline material is an oxide, sulfide, or selenide. The nano- or microcomposite materials can be present in the form of a film on a substrate.
In an aspect, the present disclosure provides methods of making the composite nano- or micromaterials. The methods are based on, for example, formation of an amorphous material using sol-gel chemistry (e.g., a modified Stöber process).
In an aspect, the present disclosure provides methods of forming a film of the composite nano- or microcomposite materials on a substrate. The methods are based on, for example, in situ formation of the composite nano- or micromaterials as part of the deposition process or formation of the nano- or microcomposite materials prior to deposition of the film.
In an aspect, the present invention provides coating formulations. In an embodiment, the coating formulation is comprised of at least one core nano- or micromaterial, at least one shell source, and a catalyst within a mixture of water and a first solvent.
In an aspect, the present invention provides kits for preparing coating formulations. In an embodiment, a kit comprises at least one core nano- or micromaterial, and at least one shell or matrix source. Optionally, the kit may further contain any or all of the following: a catalyst, a first solvent (e.g., alcohol) and water. The kits may further comprise instructions for the preparation and use of its components, alone or in conjunction with materials supplied by the purchaser.
In another aspect the present disclosure provides articles of manufacture comprising one or more of the compositions (e.g., a film comprising one or more of the compositions) disclosed herein. For example, the article of manufacture is a fenestration component such as a window unit, skylight, or door. In an embodiment, the fenestration component is a thermoresponsive window (e.g., as shown in
It is an object of the present disclosure to provide composite nanomaterials and micromaterials and composite nanomaterial and micromaterial coated substrates. Also, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide methods of making the materials and uses of the materials.
Unlike the bulk or vapor-deposited thin films, metal oxide, e.g., VO2, nano- and micromaterials can be cycled thousands of times without degradation in properties (cracking or fracture) due to the facile relaxation of mechanical strain as a result of the finite size of the materials. The materials prepared by our synthetic route are available as free-standing solution-dispersible high-purity powders, allowing them to be coated by a variety of standard glass-coating methods such as spray coating, powder coating, and roller application.
The present disclosure addresses two impediments to the integration of these materials, e.g., VO2 nano- and microwires within functional thermochromic coatings. First, increased chemical and thermal stability is desirable for the coating materials since the materials can readily be oxidized, e.g., to V2O5 that represents a thermodynamic sink in the binary V—O system. For example, although, most envisioned glazing applications would place the material coatings on the interior surface of double-paned insulating glass units, increased chemical and thermal stability would help make these materials consonant with the stringent long term warranties offered by most insulating glass unit manufacturers. A second problem is that as-prepared materials may not adhere well to some surfaces, e.g., glass surfaces.
Both of these issues are addressed by encapsulating the materials with, for example, amorphous silica shells or dispersing the materials in an amorphous silica matrix. The silica enhances the adhesion of the nano- or microwires to glass substrates. In our laboratory, the silica shells on the VO2 nanowires have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) before and after annealing. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Raman experiments were further used to demonstrate that the silica coating does not change the transition temperature of the nanowires, and indeed suggests that the coatings protect the nanowires from oxidation. This coating method has further been used to prepare, for example, a coating of the VO2@SiO2 nanowires on the surfaces of glass substrates. The coated substrates exhibit substantial switching of infrared transmittance as a function of temperature. Also VO2 nanowires were separately shelled with TiO2 shells and VO2 shells to enhance anti-reflective properties. Likewise, we have separately dispersed VO2 nanowires in TiO2 and VO2 matrices. Another way by which the attachment of the nanowires to the substrate was improved was by hydroxylating the substrate or by selecting a substrate which natively possess a sufficient number of surface hydroxyl groups to bond to the silica shell.
In an aspect, the present disclosure provides composite nanomaterials and micromaterials. The composite nanomaterials and micromaterials are heterostructured, i.e., they are comprised of two materials and there is no exogenous interfacial material at the interface of the two materials. The composite materials may be ceramic composite materials or heterostructured materials (e.g., heterostructured oxide materials). The composite materials comprise nano- and/or micromaterials (e.g., oxide nano- and/or micromaterials) encapsulated in an amorphous or crystalline (e.g., semicrystalline, polycrystalline, or single crystalline) material. The nano- and micromaterials are crystalline. The nano- and micromaterials are also referred to herein as core nanomaterials and core micromaterials. The amorphous or crystalline material are also referred to herein as a shell (or shell material) or core-shell (or core-shell material). For example, the crystalline nano- and micromaterials are oxide nano- and micromaterials dispersed in an amorphous or crystalline oxide, sulfide, and/or selenide material (e.g., a coating or matrix). In an embodiment, the composite nano- and micromaterials are those made by a method of the present disclosure.
The present invention uses any inorganic nano- or micromaterial capable of being coated with a shell or being encapsulated in a matrix selected from the group consisting of SiO2, TiO2, VO2, V2O5, ZnO, HfO2, CeO2, B(OH)3 and MoO3. The inorganic nano- or micromaterial must possess or be modified to possess hydroxides on its surface. The nano-material has at least one structural dimension less than 100 nm. The micro-material has no structural dimension less than 100 nm and at least one structural dimension is less than 100 μm.
In an embodiment, the inorganic nano- or micromaterial is an oxide such as vanadium oxide. The term “vanadium oxide” includes: (a) binary vanadium oxides with the formula: (i) VxO2x (e.g., VO2) and/or VxO2x+1 (e.g., V2O5 and V3O7), where x is an integer from 1 to 10, including all integers therebetween; and (b) ternary vanadium oxide bronzes with the formula MxV2O5, where M is selected from the group consisting of Cu, K, Na, Li, Ca, Sr, Pb, Ag, Mg, and Mn, and where x ranges from 0.05 to 1, including all values to 0.01 and ranges therebetween. In another embodiment, the inorganic nano- or micromaterial is vanadium oxide doped with metal cations and, optionally, heteroatom ions, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/632,674, which is hereby incorporated by reference. Dopants include molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, tantalum, sulfur, and fluorine. Doping concentration can reach 5%. In an embodiment, the doping range is 0.05% to 5% by weight.
The nano- or micromaterial (e.g. vanadium oxide) can have a single domain or multiple electronic domains. The nano- or micromaterial (e.g. vanadium oxide) can be single crystalline nano- or microparticles. In an embodiment, the vanadium oxide nano- or microparticles are VO2 nano- or microparticles. In another embodiment, the vanadium oxide nano- or microparticles are V2O5 nano- or microparticles with or without intercalating cations. The nano- or microparticles can be present in a variety of polymorphs. The nano- or microparticles can be present in a variety of structures. In an embodiment, the vanadium oxide nano- or microparticles exhibit a metal-insulator transition at a temperature of −200° C. to 350° C. Other suitable nano- or micromaterials for use in the coatings, coated substrates and methods of the present invention include Ag, Au, CdSe, Fe2O3, Fe3O4, Mn2O3, Pt, SiC, and ZnS and heterostructures incorporating one or more of these components.
The nano- or micromaterial may possess any morphology. Suitable morphologies include but are not limited to nano- or microparticles, nano- or microwires, nano- or microrods, nano- or microsheets, nano- or microspheres, and nano- or microstars.
The nano- or micromaterial may be made by hydrothermal reduction followed by solvothermal reduction, as in Example 1 (VO2). In particular, nanomaterials may be formed when the solvothermal reduction reaction is run for 48-120 hours, while micromaterial may be formed when the solvothermal reduction reaction is run for 24-48 hours. Analogous to VO2, vanadium oxide bronzes with the formula MxV2O5 (where M is a metal cation) can be synthesized through a similar hydrothermal route by using a metal oxalate, nitrate, or acetate with V2O5 powder in the presence of an appropriate structure directing agent. Examples of structure directing agents include 2-propanol, methanol, 1,3-butanediol, ethanol, oxalic acid, citric acid, etc. The mole percent of metal to vanadium can vary from 1% to 66%. The reactants are mixed with 16 mL of water and reacted at pressures ranging from 1500-4000 psi for 12-120 hours. Nano- or micromaterials can also be made by solid-state reactions, chemical vapor deposition, microwave synthesis or sol-gel reactions.
The nano- and micromaterials are encapsulated in an amorphous or crystalline material. The amorphous material is an oxide, sulfide, or selenide. Examples of suitable materials include main group or transition metal chalcogenides and oxides. The materials can be deposited by solution-phase or vapor deposition methods. In an embodiment, the material conformally coats the crystalline nano- and micro-oxide materials. The material can be referred to as a matrix or a shell. The material is also referred to herein as a coating. In an embodiment, the exterior surface of amorphous or crystalline material has a plurality of hydroxyl groups on the surface. The materials may be a mixtures of, for example, amorphous and/or crystalline oxides, sulfides, and/or selenide materials. Examples of oxide materials include SiO2, TiO2, VO2, V2O5, ZnO, HfO2, CeO2, MoO3, and combinations thereof. Examples of sulfides include FeS, MoS2, CuS, CdS, PbS, VS2, and combinations thereof. Examples of selenides include FeSe, MoSe2, CuSe, CdSe, PbSe, VSe2, SbxSe1-x (where x is 0.1 to 0.99) and combinations thereof. An oxide material can be reacted by methods known in the art to provide sulfide material, selenide material, or a mixture of oxide and sulfide or amorphous oxides and selenides.
The nano- or microcomposite materials can be present in the form of a film on a substrate. In an embodiment, the present invention provides a substrate comprising a film of the nano- or micro-oxide composite materials or the composition comprising the materials. The film is disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate. The substrate can be any of those disclosed herein. Any substrate whose surface is or can be hydroxylated serves as a suitable substrate. For example, the substrate is glass, sapphire, alumina, a polymer or plastic (e.g., acrylic, plexiglass, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), or polycarbonate), or indium tin oxide-coated glass. The substrate may be flexible. The film can have a variety of thicknesses. For example, has a thickness of 10 nm to 5 microns, including all nm values and ranges therebetween.
Films can have a rough, periodically arrayed, or ordered surface or a smooth surface. The films may form part of a multilayered architecture.
In an aspect, the present disclosure provides methods of making the composite nano- or micromaterials. The methods are based on, for example, formation of the amorphous oxide, sulfide, or selenide material using sol-gel chemistry. The amorphous or crystalline oxide, sulfide, or selenide material is formed from a precursor. The precursor is also referred to herein a shell source, matrix source, or encapsulating material precursor.
For example, using a modified Stöber process, constitution of conformal SiO2 shells around the VO2 nanowires was demonstrated. The SiO2 shells enhanced the robustness of the VO2 nanowires towards thermal oxidation and furthermore improved the adhesion of the nanowires to glass substrates. The thickness of the shells was observed to depend on the reaction time. Notably, the deposition of conformal shells did not deleteriously impact the metal-insulator transitions of the VO2 nanowire cores.
In an embodiment, the composite nano- or microcomposite materials are made by contacting nano- or micromaterials with a precursor (e.g., a sol-gel precursor such as a metal alkoxide) under conditions such that the composite nano- and micromaterials are formed. A covalent linkage is established by condensation of —OH or related (—NH2, —COOH, -epoxide) moieties on the nanomaterial or micromaterial surface with, for example, the sol-gel precursor. The formation of metal-oxygen-metal bonds covalently embeds the nanomaterial within the amorphous or crystalline material.
In an aspect, the present disclosure provides methods of forming a film of the composite nano- or microcomposite materials on a substrate. The methods are based on, for example, in situ formation of the composite nano- or micromaterials as part of the deposition process or formation of the nano- or microcomposite materials prior to deposition of the film.
The methods of the present invention may involve preparation of at least a portion of the surface of substrates for coating with nano- or micromaterials, wherein said preparation results in the addition and/or exposure of hydroxyl groups on the surface of said substrate(s). Suitable preparation protocols include use of hydroxylating solutions (e.g. superoxides, strongly basic solutions, certain cleaning solutions, etc.), contacting at least part of the surface of the substrate with a plasma gas containing a reactive hydroxylating oxidant species, electrochemical treatment (e.g. in basic media, electro-Fenton reaction, etc.), exposure to ozone, or any combination thereof.
Any substrate whose surface is or can be hydroxylated serves as a suitable substrate. By way of example and without limitation, suitable substrates include glass, indium-tin oxide coated glass, aluminum, sapphire, ceramics, plastics (e.g., acrylic, PET, PMMA, polycarbonate), and sapphire.
In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method for coating at least a portion of the surface of a substrate with a nano- or micromaterial comprising the steps: (a) preparing at least a portion of the surface of a substrate, wherein preparation results in the addition and/or exposure of hydroxyl groups on the surface of said substrate, (b) preparing a solution comprising: at least one core nano- or micromaterial, at least one shell source, and a catalyst in a mixture of: (i) a first solvent, and (ii) water, (c) allowing the solution described in (b) to react, and (d) coating the surface prepared in (a) with at least a portion of the reacted solution resulting from (c). Step (d) may optionally be repeated one or more times to achieve the desired coating thickness. The above method may further comprise an annealing step following step (d) or any repetitions thereof.
Alternatively, the substrate may natively possess a sufficient number of surface hydroxyl groups to bond to the shell or matrix, so hydroxylation of the substrate in step (a) is unnecessary and not performed.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for coating at least a portion of the surface of a substrate with a nano- or micromaterial comprising the steps: (a) preparing at least a portion of the surface of a substrate, wherein preparation wherein said preparation results in the addition and/or exposure of hydroxyl groups on the surface of said substrate(s), (b) providing a dispersion of core-shell nano- or micromaterials, and (c) coating the surface prepared in (a) with the dispersion provided in (b).
Alternatively, the substrate may natively possess a sufficient number of surface hydroxyl groups to bond to the shell or matrix so hydroxylation of the substrate in step (a) is unnecessary and not performed.
In another embodiment, a method of making a substrate comprising the composition (e.g., composite vanadium oxide nano or micromaterial) disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the substrate comprises: a) optionally, forming a plurality of hydroxyl groups on the at least a portion of a surface of the substrate; and b) contacting the at least a portion of a surface of the substrate with a film forming composition such that the composition is formed on the at a portion of the surface of the substrate; and c) optionally, repeating b) (i.e., contacting the substrate from b) with the film forming composition) until a desired thickness of the composition is formed on the at least a portion of the surface of the substrate is formed. The film forming composition can comprise preformed composite nano- or micromaterials (e.g., composite vanadium oxide nano or micromaterials). Optionally, the film forming composition comprises nanomaterial or micromaterial (e.g., vanadium oxide nano or micromaterial), encapsulating material precursor, a catalyst, and an aqueous solvent, where the encapsulating material precursor reacts to form the amorphous material. For example, the layer of the composition on at least a portion of the surface of the substrate is formed by spray coating, spin coating, roll coating, wire-bar coating, dip coating, powder coating, self-assembly, or electrophoretic deposition. Optionally, the method further comprises annealing the composition formed on the at least a portion of the surface of the substrate in b) and/or after at least one of the compositions is formed on the at least a portion of the surface of the substrate in c). For example, the hydroxyl groups are formed by contacting the at least a portion of the substrate with a hydroxylating solution, ozone, or a plasma comprising a hydroxylating oxidant species.
In some embodiments, it is desirable to coat the substrate with a single, unique core-shell or matrix-forming nano- or micromaterial (e.g., vanadium oxide nano- or microwires and silica shell/matrix).
In other embodiments, it is desirable to coat the substrate with two or more unique core-shell or matrix-forming nano- or micromaterials (e.g., vanadium oxide nano- or microwires and silica shell/matrix and vanadium oxide nano- or microwires and titanium dioxide shell/matrix).
The selection of a shell or matrix source depends on the material(s) desired for the shell or matrix. Silica sources can be selected from metal alkoxides, such as tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), tetramethyl orthosilicate (MEOS), or any other orthosilicate or inorganic salts such as sodium silicate (Na2SiO3). The amount of silica source can vary from 0.45% to 5% of the total reaction solution. Titanium dioxide sources can be selected from tetrabutyl titanate (TBOT), tetraethyl titanate, tetrapropyl orthotitanate, and tetraisopropyl orthotitanate. The amount of titania source can vary from 0.2% to 5% of the total reaction solution. Vanadium oxide sources can be selected from any vanadium oxide. The moles of vanadium in the source can vary from 5 mM to 5 M. Zinc oxide sources can be selected from zinc acetate dehydrate and can vary in concentration from 5 mM to 5M. For CeO2, cerium (IV) isopropoxide, cerium (IV) tert-butoxide, cerium oxalate, and cerium (IV) methoxyethoxide can be used as cerium oxide sources and can vary in concentration from 5 mM to 5M. For HfO2, Hf(IV) alkoxides can be used with the general formula Hf(OR)4 where R is a straight or branched alkyl chain, aromatic group, or heterocylic group. Examples include hafnium(IV) isopropoxide, Hf(IV) tert-butoxide, hafnium ethoxide, Hf(IV) n-butoxide, Hf(IV) hexoxide, Hf(IV) phenoxide, etc. The Hf precursors can vary in concentration from 5 mM to 5M. For MoO3, Molybdenum(V) ethoxide and molybdenum(V) isopropoxide can be used as molybdenum oxide sources and vary in concentration from 5 mM to 5M. Modifications of synthetic conditions and reaction temperatures may be required to optimize deposition of shells or matrix formation in each instance.
The catalyst can be an acid or base catalyst such as a strong or weak acid or base. Examples of suitable catalysts include NH3 (anhydrous), hydroxide salts, ammonium salts (e.g., 28-30% ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH)), HCl, organic amines, primary amines, secondary amines or tertiary amines, or a combination thereof, and can make up from 0.1% to 5% of the total reaction solution.
The first solvent may be ethanol, methanol, n-propanol, tetrahydrofuran, dimethylsulfoxide, or isopropanol.
In an embodiment, the first solvent (e.g., ethanol) and water are present in a ratio ranging from 1:1 to 20:1. The reaction rate can be controlled through the ratio of water to the first solvent and by varying temperature. Increasing the ratio of water to the first solvent or heating the solution increases the reaction rate. Solutions containing methanol should not be heated above 60° C. while those with isopropanol and/or ethanol should not be heated above 80° C.
The thickness of the amorphous oxide matrix and/or composite film can be controlled by, for example, the ratio of reactants, the reaction time, the nanomaterial/micromaterial loading, added inhibitors or catalysts, and/or reactant concentrations. Generally, longer reaction times and reaction concentrations provide thicker films.
The annealing can be conducted at a temperature of from 50° C. to 150° C. Annealing can be done in open air or in the presence of argon and facilitates the removal of excess H2O from the coatings as well as increased cross-linking of the covalent Si—O—Si network.
In various embodiments, the adhesion of the coating is classified as at least a 3B using ASTM D3359. In a preferred embodiment, the adhesion is classified as a 5B.
Numerous methods of cleaning glass substrates can be used, including using gas plasmas, and combinations of acids, bases and organic solvents that are allowed to react at varying temperatures. In an example, washing with basic peroxide followed by acidic peroxide both cleans and hydroxylates the surface of glass substrates. Other suitable hydroxylating solutions include piranha solution (a 3:1, 4:1 or 7:1 mixture of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)), base piranha solution (where ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) is substituted for sulfuric acid), hydrofluoric acid (HF) wherein the concentration ranges from 0.01 to 3M, and caustic solutions of KOH/ethanol. Reaction of the substrate with the cleaning solution (e.g. piranha solution) can range from 30 minutes to 24 hours. Following preparation with one or more hydroxylating solutions, the substrate should be rinsed with electrolyte-free water such as deionized water or nanopure water.
The term “plasma gas” as used throughout the specification is to be understood to mean a gas (or cloud) of charged and neutral particles exhibiting collective behavior which is formed by excitation of a source of gas or vapor. A plasma gas containing a reactive hydroxylating oxidant species contains many chemically active plasma gases charged and neutral species which react with the surface of the substrate. Typically, plasma gases are formed in a plasma chamber wherein a substrate is placed into the chamber and the plasma gases are formed around the substrate using a suitable radiofrequency or microwave frequency, voltage and current.
The reactive hydroxylating oxidant species that is included in the plasma gas may be any agent that is able to form hydroxyl groups on the surface of the substrate. Example reactive hydroxylating oxidant species are hydrogen peroxide, water, oxygen/water or air/water. In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the reactive hydroxylating oxidant species is hydrogen peroxide.
The rate and/or extent of reaction of the plasma gas containing the reactive hydroxylating oxidant species and the substrate can be controlled by controlling one or more of the plasma feed composition, gas pressure, plasma power, voltage and process time.
In another embodiment, the substrate is treated with ozone gas either using a solution phase ozonator or an ozone chamber. Ozone treatment can be performed with or without UV exposure for times ranging from 10 seconds to 120 minutes.
The degree of surface hydroxylation depends on factors such as the type (bridged or terminal) and density of hydroxyl groups. The degree of surface hydroxylation can range from 1 of 1,000 surface sites to every accessible surface site (submonolayer to monolayer coverage). Additionally, the desired degree of hydroxylation resulting from the preparation method(s) disclosed herein can be controlled by altering the duration of exposure (longer times result in increased hydroxylation) to said method(s), concentration of active reactants (higher concentrations result in increased hydroxylation), and reaction temperature (higher temperatures lead to increased hydroxylation).
Suitable techniques for coating substrate surfaces using the methods of the present invention include, but are not limited to spray, spin, roll, wire-bar, and dip coating. Choice of technique is, in part, dependent on the desired and/or required coating thickness. For example, spin coating typically results in few tens or hundreds of nanometers thick (50 to 600 nm) layers being deposited. Coating thicknesses can also be controlled through the practice of one or more coating steps. For example, practice of multiple coating steps will result in thicker coatings.
Spray coating requires a low-viscosity (0 to 2,000 centipoise (cP)) sample that is composed of a well-dispersed material in a solvent. Coating thickness is controlled by repetitions. Dip coating can be used on viscous samples as well as low-viscosity samples by varying the rate of extraction. Spin and roll coating both require high viscosity (greater than 2,000 cP) samples, which in combination with spin speed or bar selection, respectively, alters the thickness of the coating.
In an aspect, the present invention provides coating formulations. In an embodiment, the coating formulation is comprised of at least one core nano- or micromaterial, at least one shell source, and a catalyst within a mixture of water and a first solvent, wherein the ratio of water to the first solvent (e.g. ethanol) ranges from 1:1 to 1:20. The shell or matrix source(s) depends on the material(s) desired for the shell or matrix (see above). The first solvent can be ethanol, methanol, n-propanol, tetrahydrofuran, dimethylsulfoxide or isopropanol. In one example, the nano- or micromaterials are VO2 nano- or microwires, the silica source is TEOS, the catalyst is NH4OH, the first solvent is ethanol, and the ratio of water to the first solvent (ethanol) is 1:4.
In an embodiment, the present invention provides a method for preparing a nano- or micromaterial coating solution, comprising the steps: (a) preparing a solution comprising: at least one core nano- or micromaterial, at least one shell source, and a catalyst in a mixture of: (i) a first solvent, and (ii) water, (c) allowing the solution described in (b) to react and form core-shell nano- or microparticles dispersed in a solvent.
In another embodiment, the nano- or micromaterial coating is comprised of core-shell nano- or micromaterials (e.g. VO2@SiO2) dispersed within a fast evaporating solvent such as isopropanol. Other suitable solvents include ethanol and methanol.
For example, a coating method to apply thin films onto glass by spray-coating was developed. The modified Stöber process is followed by spray-coating a substrate after 10 minutes. The substrate and the Stöber process mixture react to form the nano- or micromaterial dispersed in a matrix. We showed that the applied coatings of VO2 nanowires dispersed in an amorphous silica matrix are strongly bonded to glass as tested using standardized ASTM methods. The coatings exhibit promising thermochromic response and are able to attenuate transmission of infrared radiation by up to 40%. Other embodiments of the coating involve dispersing VO2 nano- or micromaterials within TiO2 and doped VO2 matrices. These matrices further yield anti-reflective properties. In some examples, the methods are used to coat vanadium oxide nano- or microwires on a substrate.
The steps of the methods described herein, including, for example, the various embodiments and examples disclosed herein, are sufficient to carry out the methods of the present disclosure. Thus, in an embodiment, a method consists essentially of a combination of the steps of the method disclosed herein. In another embodiment, the method consists of such steps.
In another aspect, the present invention provides kits for preparing coating formulations. In an embodiment, a kit comprises at least one core nano- or micromaterial, and at least one shell or matrix source. Optionally, the kit may further contain any or all of the following: a catalyst, a first solvent (e.g., alcohol) and water. In one example, the kit consists of vanadium oxide (e.g., VO2) nano- or microwires, TEOS, NH4OH, and a water and ethanol mixture in a ratio of 1:4.
In another embodiment, the kit comprises a nano- or micromaterial coating comprising core-shell nano- or micromaterials and a solvent. In another embodiment, the kit comprises a solvent, a nano- or micromaterial coating comprising nano- or micromaterials which will form a matrix upon application to the substrate. In examples of the core-shell and matrix-forming nano- or microparticles, the nano- or micromaterial is VO2@SiO2 and the solvent is isopropanol.
The kits may further comprise instructions for the preparation and use of its components, alone or in conjunction with materials supplied by the purchaser. The instructions may be printed materials or electronic information storage medium such as thumb drives, electronic cards, and the like. The instructions may provide any information relevant to the intended use, including safety precautions. The components of the kits may be provided in separate vials or containers within the kit.
In another aspect the present disclosure provides articles of manufacture comprising one or more of the compositions (e.g., a film comprising one or more of the compositions) disclosed herein. For example, the article of manufacture is a fenestration component such as a window unit, skylight, or door.
In an embodiment, the present disclosure provides a fenestration component comprising one or more films disclosed herein. The film(s) is/are disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the fenestration component. For example, the film(s) is/are disposed on at least a portion of a surface (e.g., a glass surface or plastic surface such as an acrylic, PET, PMMA, or polycarbonate surface) of the fenestration component. In another example, the fenestration component is a double-paned insulating glass window and a film is disposed on at least a portion of an inner surface (e.g., a glass surface or plastic surface such as an acrylic, PET, PMMA, or polycarbonate surface) of the fenestration component.
In an embodiment, the fenestration component is a thermoresponsive window.
As seen in the cross-section in
In an example, the insulating glass unit 200 has a dimension 201 of 2.75 inches, a dimension 202 of 1 inch, a dimension 203 of 1.75 inches, and a dimension 204 of 0.5 inch. These dimensions can vary and are merely listed as examples. The insulating glass unit 200 can be, for example, scaled up or scaled down.
While illustrated in
The compositions can be activated (i.e., undergo transition from transparent to IR reflective above a transition temperature). The compositions can be activated passively (e.g., by a change in ambient temperature (solar heating)) or actively (e.g., by application of a voltage or current to the composition).
The following examples are presented to illustrate the present disclosure. They are not intended to limiting in any manner.
The dramatic first-order solid-solid metal-insulator transition of the binary vanadium oxide, VO2, has few parallels in solid state chemistry, and is most famously characterized by an abrupt change in optical transmittance and electrical conductivity that can span five orders of magnitude. Amongst the legion of materials exhibiting metal-insulator transitions, VO2 occupies a special place since the metal-to-insulator transition occurs in close proximity to room temperature for the bulk material (at ca. 68° C.). A structural transition is often seen to underpin the electronic phase transition although substantial controversy still rages regarding the Peierl's versus Mott-Hubbard mechanistic origin of the transition. In essence, the first-order structural phase transition transforms the material from a tetragonal rutile (R, P42/mnm) phase stable at high temperatures to a low-temperature monoclinic (M1, P21/c) phase (
Regardless of the precise mechanistic origin of the phase transition, the dramatic temperature-induced switchability of the optical transmittance of VO2 lends itself to useful practical applications such as in spectrally selective thermochromic glazing technologies. Below 67° C., VO2 has a bandgap of ca. 0.8 eV and is transparent to infrared light. Above this temperature, it transforms on a timescale quicker than 300 femtoseconds to a metallic phase and reflects infrared light, thereby serving as a heat mirror. The infrared part of the solar spectrum is primarily responsible for the heating of interiors (solar heat gain). The metallic form of VO2 thus precludes solar heat gain and prevents the heating of interiors at high ambient temperatures, but is transformed at cooler ambient temperatures to the insulating phase, which permits solar radiation to heat the interiors.
This remarkable property portends applications in “smart window” coatings. While the “chameleon-like” dynamically switchable properties of VO2 have long been known, practical device implementation has been hindered by the high switching temperature and the tendency of the material to crack upon cycling.
Experimental Protocol. Synthesis of VO2 Nanowires: VO2 nanowires were synthesized using a hydrothermal approach. First, V3O2 nanowires were synthesized by the hydrothermal reduction of V2O5 by oxalic acid. This reaction was performed at 210° C. in a Teflon-lined acid digestion vessel (Parr). Briefly, 300 mg of bulk V2O5 (Sigma-Aldrich) and 75 mg of oxalic acid (J. T. Baker) were mixed with 16 mL of water, sealed within an autoclave, and allowed to react for 72 h. The reaction was stopped at 24 h intervals and the reactants were mechanically agitated. In the next step, VO2 nanowires were formed by the low-pressure (1500-1900 psi) solvothermal reduction of V3O2 nanowires using a 1:1 mixture of 2-propanol and water. This reaction was also performed in a Teflon-lined acid digestion vessel at 210° C. The collected powder was washed with copious amounts of water and annealed under argon at 450° C. for at least 1 h.
Silica Coating of VO2 Nanowires: A modified Stöber Method was used to coat the VO2 nanowires with an amorphous silica shell. Ethanol and DI water were used as solvents. Briefly, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS, Alfa Aesar) and NH4OH (28%-30%, JT Baker) were used as received. In a typical reaction, 24 mg of VO2 nanowires were ultrasonicated in a solution of 32 mL of ethanol and 8 mL of water. After 5 min, 400 μL of NH4OH solution was added dropwise to this dispersion. NH4OH acts as a catalyst and maintains the hydroxide concentration in solution (Journal of American Science 2010, 6, 985-989). After 10 min, 200 μL of TEOS was added dropwise to the solution. The solution was then allowed to react for different periods of time to control the shell thickness. To terminate the reaction, the solution was centrifuged and the collected powder was washed, redispersed in ethanol, and then centrifuged again to collect the powder. A total of 4-6 centrifugation cycles were performed for each sample. The collected powder was allowed to dry under ambient conditions. Certain samples of the core-shell structures were annealed at 300° C. in either a tube furnace or a muffle furnace. The samples annealed in a tube furnace were annealed under 0.150 SLM Argon atmosphere and with 15 mtorr vacuum while those in the muffle furnace were in ambient air.
Coating of VO2@SiO2 Core-Shell Nanowires onto Glass Substrates: Glass slides were cleaned with a piranha solution for 24 h and then washed with nanopure water. The piranha solution was comprised of 150 mL concentrated sulfuric acid and 50 mL of 30% hydrogen peroxide. Core-shell VO2@SiO2 nanowires were dispersed in isopropanol using ultrasonication for 10 min. An aliquot of the solution was then removed and sprayed onto a freshly cleaned glass slide using a Master airbrush (G79) with nozzle diameter of 0.8 mm utilizing an air compressor with output pressure of 40 psi. This process was repeated several times to obtain a homogeneous coating on the slides.
In an alternate coating process, the modified Stöber growth process was followed using VO2 nanowires, TEOS, and NH4OH dispersed within a water:ethanol mixture. The mixture was allowed to react for 10 min and then a portion was removed and sprayed onto the cleaned glass slide. Again, this process was repeated until a homogeneous coating was made using the entirety of the solution. The mixture interacted with the hydroxylated substrate, forming dispersions of VO2 nanowires in amorphous silica matrices. In addition, some of the prepared slides were annealed in open air at 100° C. after drying.
The VO2@SiO2 core-shell nanowires were characterized using a variety of methods. The surface morphologies were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, Hitachi SU-70 operated at 5 kV and equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy detector). The nanowire/silica shell interfaces were further examined using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED, JEOL-2010, operated with an accelerating voltage of 200 kV and a beam current of 100 mA). The samples for HRTEM were prepared by dispersing the coated VO2 nanowires in ethanol and placing the solution on a 300-mesh copper grid coated with amorphous carbon. The grid was then allowed to dry under ambient conditions. Raman spectra were obtained using a Jobin-Yvon Horiba Labram HR800 instrument coupled to an Olympus BX41 microscope using the 514.5 nm laser excitation from an Ar-ion laser. The laser power was kept below 10 mW to avoid photo-oxidation. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, Q200 TA instruments) measurements under flowing argon atmosphere in a temperature range from −50° C. to 150° C. were used to determine the transition temperature of the prepared nanowires.
Adhesion testing was performed using the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) Test 3359. Briefly, a grid was defined on the coated substrate using the designated tool. Tape was then applied to the substrate and peeled. The coating was then classified (0B to 5B) according to the standards prescribed for this ASTM method. FTIR measurements were performed on a Bruker instrument using a thermal stage.
To enhance the chemical and thermal stability of the VO2 nanowires and to ensure improved adhesion to glass substrates, we encapsulated the nanowires within a SiO2 shell. SiO2 is optically transparent in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum and is not expected to deleteriously impact the visible light transmittance of the prepared coatings. Furthermore, the SiO2 shells can be readily functionalized to bind to hydrophilic or hydrophobic surfaces. We have constructed the SiO2 shells around the VO2 nanowires using a modified Stöber method based on the hydrolysis of a substituted silane as per
VO2@SiO2 nanowires have been synthesized using reaction times of 15, 30, and 60 min. The surface morphologies of the nanowires have been examined by SEM as depicted in
Further corroboration of the growth of a SiO2 shell around the VO2 nanowires is derived from TEM examination of the core-shell structures as shown in
In order to study the effectiveness of the SiO2 shell in protecting the VO2 nanowires from thermal oxidation, different annealing procedures have been attempted for VO2 nanowires that are conformally covered with SiO2 shells of at least 20 nm thickness. The core-shell structures have been annealed at 300° C. in a tube furnace either under an Ar ambient or in a muffle furnace under an air ambient. Notably, it has been reported that annealing uncoated VO2 nanowires in air at 300° C. results in oxidation of these materials to V2O5.
Raman microprobe studies have been performed to evaluate the structural integrity and phase purity of the coated VO2 nanowires. The M1 phase of VO2 corresponds to the P21/c (C2h3) space group and indeed group theory analysis predicts the existence of 18 distinctive modes: 9 of Ag symmetry and 9 with Bg symmetry.
To further evaluate whether the deposition of a SiO2 shell and subsequent annealing alters the functionality of the VO2 nanowires, DSC measurements have been used to examine the structural transition temperatures of the core-shell materials (
Next, we have deposited the VO2@SiO2 nanowires onto glass to evaluate whether the SiO2 shell can provide improved adhesion. Uncoated VO2 nanowires have been used as a control and are sprayed onto a freshly cleaned glass slide from 2-propanol dispersions. Two separate methods for depositing core-shell nanowires onto glass have been explored. In the first approach, the core-shell nanowires have been spray-coated onto the glass substrates from 2-propanol dispersions, analogous to the method used for uncoated nanowires. In a second approach, the reaction mixture used for the modified Stöber growth process has been used as the precursor solution for spray-coating. Aliquots of the solution are continually sprayed to achieve the desired thickness. Subsequently, some slides have been annealed at a temperature of 100° C.
To simply test if the adhesion of any of the silica shell-vanadium dioxide nanowires were better than uncoated vanadium dioxide, a simple wipe test was performed. A Kem-wipe was used to wipe the top of the coated slides. Uncoated VO2 as well as the coated nanowires simply wiped off the glass substrate with minimal pressure. However, the slides that were coated with the reaction mixture had barely any powder wipe off. Most of the coating remained adhered to the glass substrates. All slides were then washed with ethanol to test if adhesion changed at all after washing. The same results were seen as before washing.
More rigorous testing of adhesion has been performed using ASTM 3359. While VO2 nanowires spray-coated onto glass are readily removed by applying an adhesive tape to the substrate (
In summary, we have shown that a SiO2 shell can be constituted around VO2 nanowires using the modified Stöber process. The thickness of the shell can be varied by changing the reaction time. Reaction times of 30 and 60 min result in formation of continuous conformal shells around the nanowires as evidenced by electron microscopy observations. The SiO2-encapsulated VO2 nanowires exhibit increased robustness to thermal oxidation. The crystal structure and functionality of the VO2 core is retained upon encapsulation with the SiO2 shell and no appreciable modification of the phase transition temperature has been evinced. We have also shown VO2 nanowires can be dispersed in a SiO2 matrix using the modified Stöber process followed by application to a substrate. Methods for obtaining excellent adhesion of the nano- or micromaterials to glass substrates have been developed based on 1) shelling VO2 nano- or micromaterials with amorphous SiO2 shells or 2) dispersing VO2 nano- or micromaterials within an amorphous SiO2 matrix. We have also enhanced the adhesion by hydroxylating the substrate or by selecting a substrate which natively possess a sufficient number of surface hydroxyl groups to bond to the silica shell. Our results suggest the utility of this method for the preparation of energy efficient dynamically switchable glazing. Indeed, the coatings exhibit excellent attenuation of infrared transmittance upon heating past the phase transition temperature.
The preceding description provides specific examples of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that routine modifications to these embodiments can be made which are intended to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/981,667, filed Apr. 18, 2014, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
This invention was made with government support under Grant No. IIP 1311837 awarded by the National Science Foundation. The government has certain rights in the invention.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2015/026623 | 4/20/2015 | WO | 00 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61981667 | Apr 2014 | US |