Rare earth metal instantiation

Abstract

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

1 . A nanoporous carbon composition comprising rare earth metal nanostructures disposed within carbon nanopores, wherein the rare earth metal nanostructures comprise internal carbon and a metal selected from the group consisting of Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu, and wherein the rare earth metal nanostructures have an average diameter of less than about 10 as detected by visual inspection of a SEM image. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the rare earth metal nanostructures have an average diameter of less than about 1 as detected by visual inspection of a SEM image. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the rare earth metal nanostructures comprise yttrium, such as an yttrium oxide. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the rare earth metal nanostructures are substantially spherical. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the nanostructures are agglomerated. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the nanostructures are adynamic and a diameter less than about 10 nm. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon at a carbon-metal interface is sp 2 . 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein carbon distal from a carbon-metal interface is amorphous. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures comprise a metal oxide, metal nitride, metal hydrides, metal carbides, and/or metal sulfide. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoporous carbon powder is at least 95% wt. carbon, such as at least about 96%, 97%, 98% or 99% wt. carbon (metals basis). 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoporous carbon powder is 99.9% wt. carbon (metals basis). 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoporous carbon powder has a mass mean diameter between 1 μm and 5 mm or more. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoporous carbon powder has a surface area of at least about 1 m 2 /g or at least about 200 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoporous carbon powder is characterized by a plurality of ultra-micropores. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoporous carbon powder is characterized by a plurality of ultra-micropores having a diameter of less than 20 angstroms. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoporous carbon powder has an ultramicropore surface area between about 100 and 3000 m 2 /g. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoporous carbon powder is characterized by acid or base conditioning. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 18 , wherein the nanoporous carbon powder is characterized by acid conditioning wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of HCl, HF, HBr, HI, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, carbonic acid, and nitric acid. 
     
     
         20 . 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. 
     
     
         21 . 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. 
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein nanoporous carbon powder has been reduced, protonated, or oxidized. 
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 22 , wherein nanoporous carbon powder has been reduced. 
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein nanoporous carbon powder comprises a graphene. 
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the nanostructures consist of the rare earth metal, such as yttrium or yttrium oxide. 
     
     
         26 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures are agglomerated with nanostructures comprising 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more elemental metals to form a metal macrostructure, such as an elemental metal macrostructure. 
     
     
         27 . The composition of  claim 26 , wherein the macrostructure is characterized by a plurality of transition metals. 
     
     
         28 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the macrostructure is characterized by a preponderance of one elemental metal selected from a transition metal, such as a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, nickel and molybdenum. 
     
     
         29 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the macrostructure is a nanowire, rod, nugget or sphere, such as a nanowire with an aspect ratio of at least 5. 
     
     
         30 - 44 . (canceled)