In situ size sorting in CVD synthesis of Si microspheres

[EN] Silicon microspheres produced in gas-phase by hot-wall CVD offer unique quality in terms of sphericity, surface smoothness, and size. However, the spheres produced are polydisperse in size, which typically range from 0.5 mu m to 5 mu m. In this work we show through experiments and calculations that thermophoretic forces arising from strong temperature gradients inside the reactor volume effectively sort the particles in size along the reactor. These temperature gradients are shown to be produced by a convective gas flow. The results prove that it is possible to select the particle size by collecting them in a particular reactor region, opening new possibilities towards the production by CVD of size-controlled high-quality silicon microspheres.The authors acknowledge financial support from the following projects: ENE2013-49984-EXP, MAT2012-35040, MAT2015-69669-P and ESP2014-54256-C4-2-R of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), and PROMETEOII/2014/026 of the Regional Valencian Government.Garín Escrivá, M.; Fenollosa Esteve, R.; Kowalski, L. (2016). In situ size sorting in CVD synthesis of Si microspheres. Scientific Reports. 6:1-10. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep38719S110

Thermal plasma synthesis of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by injecting ferrocene vapor and oxygen into an argon/helium DC thermal plasma. Size distributions of particles in the reactor exhaust were measured online using an aerosol extraction probe interfaced to a scanning mobility particle sizer, and particles were collected on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids and glass fiber filters for off-line characterization. The morphology, chemical and phase composition of the nanoparticles were characterized using TEM and X-ray diffraction, and the magnetic properties of the particles were analyzed with a vibrating sample magnetometer and a magnetic property measurement system. Aerosol at the reactor exhaust consisted of both single nanocrystals and small agglomerates, with a modal mobility diameter of 8-9 nm. Powder synthesized with optimum oxygen flow rate consisted primarily of magnetite (Fe 3O 4), and had a room-temperature saturation magnetization of 40.15 emu/g, with a coercivity and remanence of 26 Oe and 1.5 emu/g, respectively. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011

Gas-phase production of gold-decorated silica nanoparticles.

Gold-decorated silica nanoparticles were synthesized in a two-step process in which silica nanoparticles were produced by chemical vapor synthesis using tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and subsequently decorated using two different gas-phase evaporative techniques. Both evaporative processes resulted in gold decoration of the silica particles. This study compares the mechanisms of particle decoration for a production method in which the gas and particles remain cool to a method in which the entire aerosol is heated. Results of transmission electron microscopy and visible spectroscopy studies indicate that both methods produce particles with similar morphologies and nearly identical absorption spectra, with peak absorption at 500-550 nm. A study of the thermal stability of the particles using heated-TEM indicates that the gold decoration on the particle surface remains stable at temperatures below 900 °C, above which the gold decoration begins to both evaporate and coalesce

SiO2 coating of silver nanoparticles by photoinduced chemical vapor deposition.

Gas-phase silver nanoparticles were coated with silicon dioxide (SiO2) by photoinduced chemical vapor deposition (photo-CVD). Silver nanoparticles, produced by inert gas condensation, and a SiO2 precursor, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), were exposed to vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation at atmospheric pressure and varying temperatures. The VUV photons dissociate the TEOS precursor, initiating a chemical reaction that forms SiO2 coatings on the particle surfaces. Coating thicknesses were measured for a variety of operation parameters using tandem differential mobility analysis and transmission electron microscopy. The chemical composition of the particle coatings was analyzed using energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The highest purity films were produced at 300-400 degrees C with low flow rates of additional oxygen. The photo-CVD coating technique was shown to effectively coat nanoparticles and limit core particle agglomeration at concentrations up to 10(7) particles cm(-3)

Aerosol Processing for Nanomanufacturing

Advances in nanoparticle synthesis are opening new opportunities for a broad variety of technologies that exploit the special properties of matter at the nanoscale. To realize this potential will require the development of new technologies for processing nanoparticles, so as to utilize them in a manufacturing context. Two important classes of such processing technologies include the controlled deposition of nanoparticles onto surfaces, and the application of chemically specific coatings onto individual nanoparticles, so as to either passivate or functionalize their surfaces. This paper provides an overview of three technologies related to these objectives, with an emphasis on aerosol-based methods: first, the deposition of nanoparticles by hypersonic impaction, so as so spray-coat large areas with nanoparticles; second, the use of aerodynamic lenses to produce focused beams of nanoparticles, with beam widths of a few tens of microns, so as to integrate nanoparticle-based structures into microelectromechanical systems; and third, the coating of individual nanoparticles by means of photoinduced chemical vapor deposition (photo-CVD), driven by excimer lamps. We also discuss the combination of these technologies, so that nanoparticle synthesis, together with multiple processing steps, can be accomplished in a single flow stream

Ámbar cretácico de San Just (Teruel): el estudio de los insectos que convivieron con los dinosaurios

San Just es un yacimiento de ámbar español que se encuentra cerca de la población de Utrillas, en la provincia de Teruel. Este yacimiento es rico en masas de ámbar que contienen variadas bioinclusiones, principalmente insectos. Se localiza en la Formación Escucha, en la cuenca del Maestrat, y tiene una edad Albiense Medio (Cretácico temprano). Desde 2003 se han realizado una prospección y dos excavaciones paleontológicas. Hasta ahora, se han descrito varios géneros y especies de insectos de los órdenes Isoptera, Thysanoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera y Diptera, y un género y especie de ácaro oribátido. Además, en San Just se encontró la tela de araña más antigua conocida, la cual contiene una asociación de artrópodos atrapados. La Administración regional realiza una protección especial del yacimiento debido a su alto valor científico.San Just is a Spanish amber outcrop located near the village of Utrillas (Teruel Province). This outcrop is rich in amber pieces containing varied bioinclusions, mainly insects. It occurs in the Escucha Formation, in the Maestrat Basin, and is Middle Albian in age (Early Cretaceous). Since 2003 one prospection and two paleontological excavations have been carried out. Several genera and species of insects of the orders Isoptera, Thysanoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera, and one genus and species of an oribatid mite, have been described up to now. In addition, from San Just is the earliest known spider web, which contains an association of trapped arthropods. The regional Administration specially protects San Just due to its high scientific value.Este artículo es una contribución del proyecto del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación: CGL2008-00550/BTE: “El ámbar del Cretácico de España: un estudio pluridisciplinar”