NANOCOMPOSITE MATERIAL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

Abstract

A nanocomposite material and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The nanocomposite material includes a plurality of nanoparticles coated with a metal oxide, and a matrix of the metal oxide immobilizing the nanoparticles that are dispersed therein. The nanocomposite material is manufactured such that macro- or macro-scale cracks are prevented or effectively prevented, light stability is enhanced over a light-emitting period, and light brightness is improved.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are photographs showing a disruptive phenomenon of an existing nanocomposite material due to a crack caused during drying;

FIGS. 2A through 2C are schematic illustrations of an exemplary embodiment of a method of manufacturing a nanocomposite material according to the present invention.

FIGS. 3A through 3D are schematic illustrations of an exemplary embodiment of a process of modifying a surface of a nanoparticle according to the present invention.

FIGS. 4A through 4C are schematic illustrations of an exemplary embodiment of a sol-gel reaction process and a drying process according to the present invention.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are transmission electron microscope (TEM) images at different magnifications of nanoparticles on which a silica coating was formed.

FIGS. 6A is a photograph of an exemplary embodiment of a nanocomposite material according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a graph comparing the light-emitting properties of an exemplary embodiment of a nanocomposite material according to the present invention with that of an existing nanocomposite material.

Claims

1. A nanocomposite material, comprising a plurality of nanoparticles coated with a metal oxide, and a matrix of the metal oxide immobilizing the nanoparticles that are disposed therein.

2. The nanocomposite material of claim 1, wherein the matrix is formed form a network structure of the metal oxide.

3. The nanocomposite material of claim 1, wherein the metal oxide is SiO2 or TiO2.

4. The nanocomposite material of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles comprise quantum dots comprising a Group II-VI semiconductor compound selected from the group consisting of CdSe, CdTe, CdS, ZnSe, ZnTe, ZnS, InP, GaP, and GainP2.

5. The nanocomposite material of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles comprise metal particles selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Fe, and Co, or an oxide particle of the selected metal.

6. A method of manufacturing a nanocomposite material comprising: coating surfaces of synthesized nanoparticles with a metal oxide to modify the surfaces of the nanoparticles.conducting a sol-gel reaction in a precursor solution in which the surface-modified nanoparticles are mixed with a precursor material of the metal oxide; anddrying the precursor solution to form a solid matrix.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising synthesizing a plurality of nanoparticles.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the nanoparticles comprise quantum dots comprising a Group II-VI semiconductor compound selected from the group consisting of CdSe, CdTe, CdS, ZnSe, ZnTe, ZnS, InP, GaP, and GainP2.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the nanoparticles comprise metal particles selected from the group consisting of Au, Ag, Fe, and Co, or an oxide particle of the selected metal.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein synthesizing the plurality of nanoparticles comprises: injecting at least one precursor material into an organic solvent capable of being coordinated; andgrowing crystals into nanoparticles having a uniform size.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the metal oxide is SiO2 or TiO2.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein modifying the surface of the nanoparticles comprises: mixing the nanoparticles, an alkali catalyst for synthesizing the metal oxide, and a precursor material of the metal oxide in an organic solvent in which a surfactant is dispersed; andconducting a condensation reaction to synthesize the metal oxide on the surface of the nanoparticles.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the surfactant is a non-ionic surfactant that has an ether group as a hydrophilic group and an alkyl group as a hydrophobic group.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the surfactant is polyoxyethylene(5)nonylphenyl ether.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the organic solvent is cyclohexane.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the precursor material is tetraethylorthosilicate.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the alkali catalyst is a solution of aqueous ammonia.

18. The method of claim 6, wherein the sol-gel reaction is conducted in a precursor solution in which the coated nanoparticles, a precursor material, and an alkali catalyst mediating a covalent bond between the coated nanoparticles and the precursor material are mixed in predetermined ratios in a polar aqueous solvent.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the precursor material of the sol-gel reaction is tetramethoxysilane.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the alkali crystal of the sol-gel reaction is a solution of aqueous ammonia.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the polar aqueous solvent of the sol-gel reaction is ethanol.

22. The method of claim 6, wherein the drying comprises exposing the precursor solution to an inert gas atmosphere or heating the precursor solution at a constant temperature.