# US 12,064,809 B2 · Metal macrostructures

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- Number: US 12,064,809 B2
- Document ID: US12064809B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/948,647
- Filed: 2022-09-20
- Published: 2023-04-13
- Granted: 2024-08-20
- Earliest claimed: 2020-12-15
- Assignees: Quantum Elements Development Inc.
- Applicants: Quantum Elements Development Inc.
- Inventors: Christopher J Nagel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12064809B2

## CPC

- B22F 1/05: Metallic powder characterised by the size or surface area of the particles
- B22F 1/054: Nanosized particles
- B22F 1/0547: {Nanofibres or nanotubes}
- B22F 1/065: Spherical particles
- B22F 1/07: Metallic powder characterised by particles having a nanoscale microstructure (nanosized particles B22F1/054)
- B22F 1/18: Non-metallic particles coated with metal
- B22F 9/14: using electric discharge
- B22F 2301/25: Noble metals, i.e. Ag Au, Ir, Os, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru
- B22F 2301/255: Silver or gold
- B22F 2302/40: Carbon, graphite
- B22F 2304/10: Micron size particles, i.e. above 1 micrometer up to 500 micrometer
- B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
- B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
- B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES

## Abstract

The invention includes apparatus and methods for instantiating precious metals in a nanoporous carbon powder.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A nanoporous carbon composition comprising elemental metal nanostructures disposed within carbon nanopores, wherein the elemental metal nanostructures comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum, gold and silver and internal carbon; and wherein the elemental metal nanostructures have an average diameter of less than about 1 μm, as detected by a TEM image; wherein the internal carbon comprises graphene; wherein the carbon at a carbon-metal interface is sp2; and wherein carbon distal from a carbon-metal interface is amorphous.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the elemental metal nanostructures are substantially spherical.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein at least some of the elemental metal nanostructures are agglomerated.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein at least some of the elemental metal nanostructures are adynamic and a diameter less than about 10 nm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the elemental metal nanostructures comprise a metal oxide, metal nitride, metal hydrides, metal carbides, and/or metal sulfide.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the nanoporous carbon composition is at least 95% wt. carbon (metals basis).

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The composition of claim 6, wherein the nanoporous carbon composition is 99.9% wt. carbon (metals basis).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the nanoporous carbon composition has a mass mean diameter between 1 μm and 5 mm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the nanoporous carbon composition has a surface area of at least about 200 m2/g.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the nanoporous carbon composition is characterized by a plurality of ultra-micropores.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The composition of claim 10, wherein the nanoporous carbon powder has an ultra-micropore surface area between about 100 and 3000 m2/g.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the nanoporous carbon powder has been conditioned with an acid or base.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The composition of claim 12, wherein the nanoporous carbon powder has been conditioned with an acid wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of HCl, HF, HBr, HI, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, carbonic acid, and nitric acid.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the nanoporous carbon powder is characterized by a residual water content of less than about 30%, by weight carbon.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the nanoporous carbon powder is characterized by a residual water content of less than that achieved upon exposure to a relative humidity (RH) of less than 5% RH or 40% RH or 70% RH at room temperature.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein nanoporous carbon powder has been reduced, protonated, or oxidized.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The composition of claim 16, wherein nanoporous carbon powder has been reduced.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein nanoporous carbon powder comprises a graphene.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein at least some of the elemental metal nanostructures consist of a platinum group metal.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the elemental metal nanostructures are agglomerated with elemental metal nanostructures comprising 10 or more elemental metals to form an elemental metal macrostructure.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the elemental metal nanostructures have an average diameter of less than about 20 nm, as detected by a TEM image.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1, wherein the elemental metal nanostructures are porous.