Systems and Methods for In-Situ Formation of Nanoparticles and Nanofins

Abstract

Systems and methods for forming nanoparticles in-situ are disclosed herein. The nanoparticles may be formed in-situ through thermocycling a solution comprising at least one of a molten salt, a surfactant, and a catalyst. The nanoparticles may form in the solution itself and/or on surfaces of a vessel in which the solution is formed. Nanofins may be formed from the agglomeration of particles in the solution and on surfaces. Microchannels may be formed by these nanofins, and in some cases microchannels on a surface may have nanofins form on the surface. In some embodiments, a previously formed solution that has nanoparticles formed in-situ may be used to generate nanofins in a vessel, on a wafer in a vessel, in the solution itself, or combinations thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for forming nanofins on a vessel or on a substrate disposed within the vessel, the method comprising:
 (a) precipitating a plurality of nanoparticles from a homogeneous solution, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles is formed via chemical degradation of a first component comprising a surfactant, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles is formed on an interior surface of the vessel, on the substrate, or in the homogeneous solution spaced apart from the interior surface of the vessel, wherein the homogenous solution comprises the first component or the first component and a second component comprising a salt;   (b) forming a plurality of nanofins on the interior surface of the vessel, on the substrate, or on the interior surface of the vessel and on the substrate with the plurality of nanoparticles after (a) to provide a resulting vessel on which the plurality of nanofins is formed, a resulting substrate on which the plurality of nanofins is formed, or both a resulting vessel on which the plurality of nanofins is formed and a resulting substrate on which the plurality of nanofins is formed; and   (c) tuning at least one material property of the resulting vessel or the resulting substrate by a composition of the homogeneous solution.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first component and the second component do not comprise nanoparticles; or   the first component comprises the plurality of nanoparticles formed in-situ in the homogeneous solution via chemical degradation of the surfactant.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one material property comprises an energy storage 
       capacity, a specific heat capacity, a thermal conductivity, a density, a viscosity, an electrical conductivity, a transmissivity, a polarizability, a reflectivity, an absorptivity of electromagnetic radiation waves and particles, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein tuning the at least one material property of the resulting vessel or the resulting substrate by the composition of the homogeneous solution comprising adjusting a concentration of the surfactant in the homogeneous solution to increase the specific heat capacity of the resulting vessel or the resulting substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprises a pipe. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the composition of the homogeneous solution is adjusted to enhance mass or heat transfer of fluids along the resulting vessel relative to a same vessel absent the nanofins. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a wafer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each precipitated nanoparticle of the plurality of nanoparticles is a carbon nanoparticle having a size less than about 100 nm. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second component is a molten salt selected from alkali-nitrate salts, alkali-carbonate salts, alkali-chloride salts, halogen derivatives thereof, or eutectic mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the salt is a nitrate, a chloride, a carbonate, or a fluoride. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the homogeneous solution comprises both the first component and the second component. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant comprises sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or sodium docedylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS). 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 before (a): forming the homogeneous solution in the vessel and evaporating at least some of a liquid in the homogenous solution after forming the homogeneous solution in the vessel. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein evaporating at least some of a liquid in the homogenous solution after forming the homogeneous solution in the vessel comprises heating the homogenous solution to a temperature between about 25° C. and about 600° C. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein evaporating at least some of a liquid in the homogenous solution after forming the homogeneous solution in the vessel comprises:
 maintaining the homogenous solution at a temperature between about 25° C. and about 600° C. for about four hours to about twenty-four hours; or   maintaining the homogenous solution at a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure for rapid evaporation of the liquid while maintaining the homogenous solution at the temperature between about 25° C. and about 600° C. for about four hours to about twenty-four hours.   
     
     
         16 . Nanofins formed on a fluid flow surface of a vessel or a substrate, wherein the nanofins comprise nanoparticles precipitated in situ from a homogeneous solution comprising a first component comprising a surfactant and a second component comprising a salt, wherein the nanoparticles have a higher specific heat capacity than a nanomaterial absent the surfactant. 
     
     
         17 . The nanofins of  claim 16 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise carbon nanoparticles having a size less than about 100 nm, and the nanofins have at least one dimension of greater than 100 nm. 
     
     
         18 . The nanofins of  claim 16 , wherein the homogeneous solution comprises from about 0.5 to about 1.5 wt % of the surfactant. 
     
     
         19 . The nanofins of  claim 16 , wherein the nanofins form nanogrooves or nanochannels on the fluid flow surface of the vessel or the substrate. 
     
     
         20 . A method of forming a plurality of nanofins, the method comprising:
 (a) forming a homogeneous solution in a vessel, wherein the homogenous solution comprises a first component comprising a surfactant and a second component comprising a eutectic salt, wherein the first component and the second component do not comprise nanoparticles, and wherein a composition of the homogeneous solution is selected to provide a specific heat capacity of the homogeneous solution which is greater than a specific heat capacity of pure solution of the eutectic salt;   (b) evaporating at least some of a liquid in the homogenous solution after (a);   (c) precipitating a plurality of nanoparticles from the homogeneous solution in response to (a) or (b), wherein the plurality of nanoparticles is formed via chemical degradation of the surfactant, and wherein the plurality of nanoparticles is formed on an interior surface of the vessel or in the homogeneous solution spaced apart from the interior surface of the vessel; and   (d) forming the plurality of nanofins on the interior surface of the vessel with the first plurality of nanoparticles after (c).