Method and apparatus for a porous electrospray emitter
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsPaulo C. Lozano, Steven Mark Arestie
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Abstract
An ionic liquid ion source can include a microfabricated body including a base and a tip. The body can be formed of a porous material compatible with at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt. The body can have a pore size gradient that decreases from the base of the body to the tip of the body, such that the at least one of an ionic liquid or room-temperature molten salt is capable of being transported through capillarity from the base to the tip.
Claims22
An electrospray emitter comprising:
- a porous emitter body with a base and a tip, wherein the porous emitter body is formed at least partially from a porous xerogel.
An electrospray emitter array comprising:
- a porous substrate;
- and
- a plurality of porous emitters, wherein each porous emitter extends up from the porous substrate to a tip, and wherein the plurality of porous emitters are formed at least partially from a porous xerogel.
A method of forming an electrospray emitter comprising:
- pouring a gel solution into a mold shaped to form one or more emitter bodies with a base and a tip;
- drying the gel solution in the mold to form the one or more emitter bodies at least partially from a porous xerogel.
A method of forming an electrospray emitter comprising:
- pouring a slurry including ground porous xerogel into a mold shaped to form one or more emitter bodies with a base and a tip;
- freezing the slurry in the mold to form a frozen slurry;
- freeze-drying the frozen slurry to form the one or more emitter bodies at least partially from a porous xerogel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.