Multifunctional metallic nanolattices and methods of manufacture

Abstract

Nanolattices exhibit attractive mechanical, energy conversion, and optical properties, but it is challenging to fabricate large nanolattices while maintaining the dense regular nanometre features that enable their properties. In this work, we report a crack-free self-assembly approach for fabricating centimetre-scale nickel nanolattices with a feature size of 100 nm and a grain size of 30 nm. The crack-free areas are 20,000 times larger than prior self-assembled nanolattices and contain 1,000 times the number of unit cells as 3D-printed nanolattices. These nickel nanolattices have a 260 MPa tensile strength, which approaches the theoretical strength limit for porous nickel and is 10 times the strength of prior nanolattices. The self-assembly method and porous metal mechanics reported in this work advances the fabrication and applications of high-strength multifunctional porous materials.

1 . A method, comprising:
 effecting evaporation of a carrier fluid from a colloid that comprises the carrier fluid and a population of particles,   the colloid contacting a substrate,   the evaporation of the carrier fluid giving rise to assembly of at least some of the population of particles into a plurality of template layers defined by a periodic arrangement of the at least some of the population of particles,   each of the plurality of template layers being substantially free of particles positioned outside of the periodic arrangement, and   the plurality of template optionally being substantially free of channeling cracks of width greater than two particle diameters,   the spacing of adjacent channeling cracks being greater than 100 μm,   the evaporation optionally being performed in the presence of a filler fluid,   the filler fluid having a vapor pressure lower than the vapor pressure of the carrier fluid, and   the filler fluid entering vacancies between particles resulting from the evaporation of the carrier fluid so as to stabilize the positions of the particles during the evaporation of the carrier fluid.   
     
     
         2 . A method, comprising:
 effecting evaporation of a carrier fluid from a colloid that comprises the carrier fluid and a population of particles,   the colloid contacting a substrate,   the population of particles being at least about 10 vol % of the colloid,   the evaporation of the carrier fluid giving rise to assembly of at least some of the population of particles into a plurality of template layers defined by a periodic arrangement of the at least some of the population of particles,   each of the plurality of template layers being substantially free of particles positioned outside of the periodic arrangement, and   the evaporation optionally being performed in the presence of a filler fluid,   the filler fluid having a vapor pressure lower than the vapor pressure of the carrier fluid, and   the filler fluid entering vacancies between particles resulting from the evaporation of the carrier fluid so as to stabilize the positions of the particles during the evaporation of the carrier fluid.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, with a resin, joining neighboring particles within the plurality of template layers to one another. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising selectively removing the resin. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising depositing any one or more of a metal, an oxide, or a polymer onto the plurality of template layers. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the metal, oxide, or polymer is deposited in a direction from the substrate through a thickness of the plurality of template layers. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising selectively removing at least some of the plurality of template layers so as to leave behind a metallic, polymeric, or oxide nanolattice, the selectively removing optionally comprising dissolving. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a particle defines a cross-sectional dimension in the range of from about 200 nm to about 10,000 nm. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the filler fluid comprises an alcohol. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the alcohol is glycerol or ethylene glycol. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the filler fluid is present in the colloid at from about 0.1 vol % to about 40 vol %. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particles define a positive charge. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is performed in a continuous manner. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of template layers defines a thickness in the range of from about 1 to about 5,000 μm. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising removing carrier fluid 
     
     
         16 . A lattice, comprising:
 a three-dimensional periodic structure of struts of (i) a metal, a polymeric material, or a carbonaceous material and (ii) spherical voids, the struts and voids being in a periodic arrangement therein,   a void defining a cross-sectional dimension in the range of from about 200 to about 10,000 nm.   
     
     
         17 . The lattice of  claim 15 , wherein the lattice defines a thickness therethrough of from about 1 to about 5,000 μm, and 
     
     
         18 . The lattice of  claim 16 , wherein the lattice defines a tensile strength of from about 30% to about 100% of the theoretical tensile strength of the metal in porous form, defined as the highest bulk metal tensile strength multiplied by the porous metal's relative density to the second power. 
     
     
         19 . The lattice of  claim 16 , wherein the lattice defines a relative density of from about 15 to about 40. 
     
     
         20 . The lattice of  claim 16 , wherein the lattice defines at least one area of about 0.1 mm 2  that is free of fully dense metal wider than a twice the diameter of single particle. 
     
     
         21 . The lattice of  claim 16 , wherein the lattice is characterized as having a Cσ b  value of from about 0.6 MPa and about 2 MPa as applied in the following equation: 
       
         
           
             
               
                 σ 
                 UTS 
               
               = 
               
                 C 
                 ⁢ 
                 
                   
                     
                       σ 
                       b 
                     
                     ( 
                     
                       
                         ρ 
                         * 
                       
                       / 
                       ρ 
                     
                     ) 
                   
                   1.5 
                 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising converting the polymer to a carbonaceous material. 
     
     
         23 . A component, the component including a lattice according to  claim 16 . 
     
     
         24 . A method, comprising: with a magnetized metallic nanolattice, contacting a sample comprising a species that includes a magnetic tag to the magnetized metallic nanolattice under such conditions that the magnetic tag of the sample is immobilized to the magnetized metallic nanolattice. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising releasing the magnetic tag of the sample from the magnetized metallic nanolattice.