Bulk Monolithic Nano-Heterostructures and Method of Making the Same

A process for making a bulk fully dense nanostructured material, the process including:

• providing a powder comprising a plurality of nanoparticles of at least one material;
• placing the powder inside an enclosure having a controlled gas atmosphere;
• without exposing the powder to an ambient atmosphere, subjecting the powder to a predetermined temperature T1 inside the enclosure for a predetermined time t1 to clean the nanoparticles and provide nanoparticles having a pristine surface;
• without exposing the cleaned powder to the ambient atmosphere making a preformed green compact from the cleaned powder;
• and
• without exposing the preformed green compact to the ambient atmosphere, subjecting the cleaned preformed green compact to a predetermined pressure P and a predetermined temperature T2 for a predetermined time t2, the temperature T2 being less than about 0.7 times the melting point of the material;
• wherein the pressure P, temperature T2, and time t2 are configured to sinter the powder to a fully dense three-dimensional solid material having a porosity of less than 1% and having a nano-heterostructure corresponding to a structure of the nanoparticles.