Manufacturing of multifunctional nanostructures using supercritical co2-assisted spray deposition

A method of preparing colloidal suspensions of hybrid nanomaterials systems (HNMS) comprising two or more nanomaterials attached by chemical and physical bonds, the method comprising:

• dispersing nanomaterials having different shapes, sizes, and elemental compositions in a solvent;
• sonicating the solvent with a sonication probe to prepare the HNMS;
• delivering the HNMS to a substrate via a supercritical CO2-assisted atomization (SAA) system;
• repeating the delivering step to form a pattern on the substrate;
• and
• creating 3D nanostructures by composing patterns selected from the group consisting of rings, disks, domes, and combinations thereof.

A method of making a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-bonded carbon nanotube carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CNT-CFRP) hybrid composite, the method comprising:

• dispersing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a solvent with CNCs to form a mixture;
• sonicating the mixture;
• coating a carbon fiber (CF) fabric with the sonicated mixture to deposit the mixture on the CF fabric;
• and
• manufacturing a CNC-CNT-CF/epoxy hybrid composite using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VaRTM).

A method of making a hybrid cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-graphene nanoplatelet (boron nitride nanobarb) (GNP-(BNNB))-carbon fiber (CF)/polyether ether ketone (PEEK) using spray-coating, the method comprising:

• dispersing BNNB, CNC, and GNP in a solvent to form a mixture;
• treating a CF/PEEK prepreg with a plasma surface treatment;
• coating the CF/PEEK prepreg with the mixture via a supercritical CO2-assisted atomization (SAA) system;
• and
• forming the hybrid CNC-GNP(BNNB)-CF/PEEK via compression molding of the CF/PEEK prepreg.

A method of making a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-bonded carbon nanotube carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CNC-CNT-CFRP) or CNC-bonded graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CNC-GNP-CNT-CFRP) hybrid composite, the method comprising:

• dispersing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) in a solvent with CNCs to form a mixture;
• sonicating the mixture;
• forming patterns such as ring, disk and combinations thereof, on carbon fiber (CF) fabric with the mixture via a supercritical CO2-assisted atomization (SAA) system;
• and
• manufacturing patterned CNC-CNT-CF/epoxy or CNC-GNP-CF/epoxy hybrid composites using vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VaRTM).