Ceramic nanostructures and process for making same
AssigneeThe United States of Americas as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsLisa M. Rueschhoff, Matthew B. Dickerson
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Abstract
The present invention relates to gels and processes for making ceramic nanostructures, ceramic nanostructures made by such processes, and methods of using such ceramic nanostructures. Such process is templated via block copolymer self-assembly but does not require any post processing thermal and/or solvent annealing steps. As a result, such process is significantly more efficient and scalable than other processes that are templated via block copolymer self-assembly and yields a ceramic having a pore structure/shape that provides the ceramic with a higher ductility than traditional ceramics.
Claims14
A gel comprising, based on total gel weight:
- a) from about 4% to about 30%, of a block co-polymer having a weight average molecular weight of from about 53,000 Da to about 77,000 Da, said block co-polymer having Structure 1 below:
- wherein the total weight ratio of
- in said block co-polymer is from about 1:3 to about 3:1;
- b) from about 0% to about 20% of a pre-ceramic polymer having a weight average molecular weight of from about 500 Da to about 100,000 Da, said pre-ceramic polymer comprising units having Structure 2 below:
- wherein the weight ratio of the moiety having indice x to the moiety having indice y is from about 10:1 to about 1:100;
- c) from about 0% to about 15% of a polymethylmethacrylate homopolymer having a weight average molecular weight of from about 1,000 Da to about 400,000 Da and comprising a monomeric unit, the monomeric unit of said polymethylmethacrylate homopolymer having Structure 3 below:
- d) from about 60% to about 90% of an amphilic solvent,
- with the proviso that the combined weight percentage of said block co-polymer, pre-ceramic polymer, polymethylmethacrylate homopolymer and solvent does not exceed 100%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.