# US 10,870,917 B2 · Functionalized foams

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- Number: US 10,870,917 B2
- Document ID: US10870917B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/644,569
- Filed: 2017-07-07
- Published: 2018-01-11
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-08
- Assignees: Uchicago Argonne, LLC
- Applicants: Uchicago Argonne, LLC
- Inventors: Seth B. Darling; Jeffrey W. Elam; Anil U. Mane; Seth W. Snyder
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870917B2

## CPC

- C23C 16/45525: {Atomic layer deposition [ALD]}
- C23C 16/045: {Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates}
- C23C 16/06: characterised by the deposition of metallic material
- C23C 16/30: Deposition of compounds, mixtures or solid solutions, e.g. borides, carbides, nitrides
- C23C 16/45555: {applied in non-semiconductor technology}
- C02F 1/40: Devices for separating or removing fatty or oily substances or similar floating material (cleaning or keeping clear the surface of open water from oil or like materials E02B15/04; devices in sewers for separating liquid or solid substances from sewage E03F5/14, e.g. for use in drains leading to the sewer E03F5/16)
- C09K 3/32: for absorbing liquids to remove pollution, e.g. oil, gasoline, fat
- E02B 15/041: {Devices for distributing materials, e.g. absorbed or magnetic particles over a surface of open water to remove the oil, with or without means for picking up the treated oil (E02B15/042 takes precedence)}
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- E02B: HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING (ship-lifting E02C; dredging E02F)

## Abstract

A method of fabricating an foam includes providing a foam comprising a base material. The base material is coated with an inorganic material using at least one of an atomic layer deposition (ALD), a molecular layer deposition (MLD), or sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) process. The SIS process includes at least one cycle of exposing the foam to a first metal precursor for a first predetermined time and a first partial pressure. The first metal precursor infiltrates at least a portion of the base material and binds with the base material. The foam is exposed to a second co-reactant precursor for a second predetermined time and a second partial pressure. The second co-reactant precursor reacts with the first metal precursor, thereby forming the inorganic material on the base material. The inorganic material infiltrating at least the portion of the base material. The inorganic material is functionalized with a material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising;
providing a foam comprising a plurality of strands of a base material interconnected to form the foam such that the foam comprises a skeleton formed by the plurality of strands, the skeleton forming a porous region between the plurality of strands;
infiltrating the plurality of strands of the base material within a depth of 0.05 micron to 1,000 microns with an inorganic material using sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) process, the SIS process including at least one cycle of:
exposing the foam to a first metal precursor for a first predetermined time and a first partial pressure, the first metal precursor infiltrating below a surface of each of the plurality of strands forming the skeleton up to the depth and binding with the base material, and
exposing the foam to a second co-reactant precursor for a second predetermined time and a second partial pressure, the second co-reactant precursor reacting with the first metal precursor, within the base material, thereby forming the inorganic material within the base material up to the depth within the plurality of strands forming the skeleton; and
functionalizing the inorganic material with a material, creating a functionalized foam having a selected affinity.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the base material includes at least one of polyurethanes, polyimides, acrylics, polyamides, polyesters, polycarbonates, or polyaramides.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first metal precursor comprises at least one of Trimethyl Aluminum (TMA), triethyl aluminum (TEA), Yttrium Tris(2,2,6,6-Tetramethyl-3,5-Heptanedionate) (Y(thd)3), Diethyl Zinc (DEZ), Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), Vanadium (V) Oxytriisopropoxide (VOTP), Palladium (II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate, (Pd(hfac)2), copper bis(2,2, 6, 6-tetramethy 1-3, 5-heptanedionate) (Cu(thd)2), copper(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate hydrate (Cu(hfac)2), iron tris(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate) (Fe(thd)3), cobalt tris(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate) (Co(thd)3), Bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)barium triglyme adduct (Ba(thd)2), Bis(cyclopentadienyl) ruthenium (Ru(cp)2), di silane (Si2H6), Tungsten Hexafluoride (WF6), Bi s(N,N′diisopropylacetamidinato) copper(I) (Cu(DIA)), Nickel (II) acetylacetonate (Ni(acac)2), antimony pentachloride (SbCl5), niobium pentachloride (NbCl5), niobium pentethoxide (Nb(OEt)5), titanium isopropoxide (Ti(iOPr)4), tris(tetramethylcyclopentadienyl) cerium (III), cyclopentadienyl indium (InCp), tris(i-propylcyclopentadienyl) lanthanum (La (iPrCp)3), bis(cyclopentadienyl) magnesium (Mg(Cp)2), bis (cyclopentadienyl) nickel (NiCp2), (trimethyl)methylcyclopentadienylplatinum (IV) (Pt(MeCp)Me3), bis (pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) strontium (Sr(Me5Cp)2), tris (cyclopentadienyl) yttrium (YCp3), bis(cyclopentadienyl) la dimethylzirconium (ZrCp2Me2), bis(methylcyclopentadienyl) methoxymethyl zirconium (ZrOMe), tetrakis(dimethylamino) tin (TDMASn), tetrakis(dimethylamino) zirconium (TDMAZr), tris(dimethylamino) aluminum (TDMAAl), iridium(III) acetylacetonate (Ir(acac)3), niobium pentafluoride (NbF5), ferrocene (FeCp2), cyclohexadiene iron tricarbonyl (FeHD(CO)3), tetrakis(dimethylamino) antimony (TDMASb), aluminum trichloride (AlCl3), niobium (V) iodide (NbI5), tin (IV) iodide (SnI4), Tris(tetramethylcyclopentadienyl) gadolinium(III) (Gd(Me4Cp)3), Bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) barium 1,2-dimethoxyethane adduct (Ba (Me5Cp)-2-DMA), Molybdenum Hexafluoride (MoF6), Tris (tert-pentoxy)silanol (TTPSi), silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4), lithium tert-butoxide (Li(tOBu)), trimethyl indium (TMin),trimethyl gallium (TMGa), and dimethyl cadmium (TMCd).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second co-reactant precursor comprises at least one of water, hydrogen peroxide, nitrous oxide, oxygen, ozone, hydrogen, formaldehyde, trimethyl aluminum, ammonia, hydrazine, dimethyl hydrazine, diethyl hydrazine, methyl-ethyl hydrazine, hydrogen sulfide, trimethyl phosphite, trimethyl phosphate, silane, and disilane.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic material includes at least one of a metal, a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal sulfide, metal chalcogenide, a metal carbide or a metal phosphide.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the inorganic material includes at least one of Al2O3, TiO2, ZnO, MgO, SiO2, HfO2, ZrO2, and W.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the functionalizing is performed using atomic layer deposition.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the functionalizing is performed using a single-step vapor phase process.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the functionalizing is performed using a liquid-phase functionalization process.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic material has a thickness of 0.2 nm to 5,000 nm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined time is 1-10 seconds.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first partial pressure is 0.1 to 1 Torr.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one cycle comprises 1 to 5 cycles of SIS.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the inorganic material has a thickness of greater than 500 nm and up to 5,000 nm.