Method of preparing aluminum nanorods

Abstract

A method of preparing a hydrocarbon coated aluminum nanorod composition comprising the steps of mixing a trialalkylaluminum, R 3 Al, or dialkylaluminum hydride, R 2 AlH, with a high boiling hydrocarbon solvent under an inert atmosphere and heating the aluminum precursor mix to a specific reaction temperature to pyrolyze the trialkylaluminum or dialkylaluminum hydride to provide the aluminum nanorod composition is described. The invention further describes an aluminum nanorod composition having an average diameter from about 20 to about 300 nm and an aspect ratio of about 10 to about 25, and a hydrocarbon coated aluminum nanorod composition.

1 . A method of preparing a hydrocarbon coated aluminum nanorod composition comprising the steps: 
 mixing a trialkylaluminum, R 3 Al, or dialkylaluminum hydride, R 2 AlH, with a high boiling hydrocarbon solvent under an inert atmosphere to provide an aluminum precursor mix,    heating the aluminum precursor mix to a specific reaction temperature to induce pyrolysis of the trialkylaluminum or dialkylaluminum hydride to provide the aluminum nanorod composition,    wherein the nanorods have an average diameter from about 20 to about 300 nm and an aspect ratio of about 10 to about 25, and wherein R is selected from the group: ethyl and propyl.    
     
     
         2 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 removing the hydrocarbon solvent, after the pyrolysis, to provide an aluminum nanorod composition having an aluminum content of about 20% to about 95 wt % and a hydrocarbon content of about 2 to about 80 wt %    
     
     
         2 . A method of  claim 1  wherein R is ethyl.  
     
     
         3 . A method of  claim 1  wherein the specific reaction temperature is about 150° C. to about 300° C.  
     
     
         4 . A method of  claim 1  wherein the high boiling hydrocarbon solvent is selected from the group: C 10 -C 30  straight chain and branched chain hydrocarbon, and C 7 -C 30  alkyl substituted aromatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon.  
     
     
         5 . A method of  claim 2  wherein R is ethyl, the hydrocarbon solvent is hexadecane and the specific reaction temperature is about 250° C. to about 280° C.  
     
     
         6 . A method of  claim 1  wherein mixing and heating the aluminum precursor mix to a specific reaction temperature is done simultaneously.  
     
     
         7 . An aluminum nanorod composition comprising aluminum rods with a average diameter from about 2 to 300 nm, an aspect ratio of from about 10 to about 25, and an oxygen content of about 2% to about 5%.  
     
     
         8 . An aluminum nanorod composition of  claim 7  wherein the aluminum rods have an average diameter of about 2 to 100 nm.  
     
     
         9 . An aluminum nanorod composition of  claim 8  wherein the aluminum rods have an average diameter of about 50 to about 80 nm.  
     
     
         10 . An aluminum nanorod composition of  claim 7  further comprising a high boiling hydrocarbon wherein said composition has an aluminum content of about 5% to about 95 wt % and a hydrocarbon content of about 2 to about 95 wt %.  
     
     
         11 . An aluminum nanorod composition of  claim 10  with an aluminum content of about 20% to about 80 wt % and a hydrocarbon content of about 15 to about 80 wt %.  
     
     
         12 . An aluminum nanorod composition of  claim 10  wherein the high boiling hydrocarbon is selected from the group: C 10 -C 30  straight chain and branched chain hydrocarbon, and C 7 -C 30  alkyl substituted aromatic and alicyclic hydrocarbon.  
     
     
         13 . An aluminum nanorod composition of  claim 12  wherein the high boiling hydrocarbon is hexadecane.