Microstructures and methods of making and using thereof

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a structure, the method comprising: obtaining a flowable liquid comprising a homogenous mixture of an active material and a binding material; generating a plurality of droplets from the flowable liquid; and depositing the plurality of generated droplets on a support, wherein the plurality of droplets self-assemble to form a continuous structure, wherein the continuous structure comprises a plurality of microstructure units, and wherein the active material and the binding material self-segregate to form a non-uniform distribution of the active material and the binding material in each of the units.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A structure comprising a plurality of microstructure units, wherein each of the units comprises a binding material self-segregated from an active material to form a non-uniform distribution of the binding material and the active material in each of the units. 
     
     
         2 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the active material imparts a physical, thermal, chemical, catalytic, electrical, magnetic, radioactive, photonic, biological property, or a combinations thereof to the structure. 
     
     
         3 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the active material is distributed within an area in each microstructure unit bounded by the respective unit. 
     
     
         4 . The structure of  claim 3 , wherein the active material is distributed non-uniformly within the area of each unit. 
     
     
         5 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the binding material comprises an organic material, an inorganic material, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the binding material self-segregates to accumulate at edges of the units. 
     
     
         7 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the active material accumulates adjacent to a boundary formed by the binding material, and a center of a respective unit is hollow and contains no active material or binding material. 
     
     
         8 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the units have an average diameter from 0.04 micrometers to 2000 micrometers. 
     
     
         9 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises a continuous planar layer. 
     
     
         10 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises a plurality of stacked planar layers. 
     
     
         11 . The structure of  claim 10 , wherein a first layer comprises an active material that is the same as an active material of a second layer of the plurality of stacked layers, and the first layer has different particle size characteristics than the second layer of the plurality of stacked layers. 
     
     
         12 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein each microstructure unit comprises an area bounded by at least three sides. 
     
     
         13 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein a subset of the plurality of microstructure units comprise an area bounded by six sides to form a honeycomb cell. 
     
     
         14 . The structure of  claim 13 , wherein the subset comprises a majority of the plurality of microstructure units. 
     
     
         15 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein each unit has a vertical aspect ratio equal or greater than 1. 
     
     
         16 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the active material intercalates lithium ions or has a conversion reaction in the presence of lithium ions. 
     
     
         17 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the active material is an active catalyst capable of causing or accelerating a chemical reaction between reactants and wherein the reactants and a product of the chemical reaction are transported through the microstructure units. 
     
     
         18 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the active material is an active adsorbent capable of selectively binding to an adsorbate and wherein a medium carrying the adsorbate is transported through the microstructure units. 
     
     
         19 . The structure of  claim 18 , wherein the active adsorbent gives a response when binding to an adsorbate, and wherein the response comprises a change in a physical, chemical, electrical, optical and magnetic property of the active adsorbent. 
     
     
         20 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the active material is an active carrier of a compound, and wherein at least a part of the compound can be released in a controlled manner when contacted with a transport medium, and wherein the transport medium is transported through the microstructure units. 
     
     
         21 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the active material is an active carrier of a photo-sensitive compound, and wherein the photo-sensitive compound gives an optical response when excited photonically. 
     
     
         22 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the active material is an active carrier of a magnetic-sensitive compound, and wherein the magnetic-sensitive compound gives a magnetic response when excited magnetically. 
     
     
         23 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the active material is an active carrier of a pigment, and wherein the pigment gives an optical response when excited with visible, ultraviolet or infrared light. 
     
     
         24 . The structure of  claim 1 , wherein the active material imparts an electrical property to the continuous structure, and the active material comprises one or more of a conductor, semiconductor, or insulator. 
     
     
         25 . An article of manufacture, the article comprising:
 a structure comprising a plurality of microstructure units, wherein each of the units comprises a binding material self-segregated from an active material to form a non-uniform distribution of the binding material and the active material in each of the units; and   a support coated by the structure.   
     
     
         26 . The article of  claim 25 , wherein the support comprises a metallic film, metallized plastic film, metallized polymer film, glass film, ceramic film, polymer film, or paper. 
     
     
         27 . The article of  claim 25 , wherein the article is an electrochemical cell. 
     
     
         28 . The article of  claim 27 , wherein the electrochemical cell comprises an electrode comprising the structure. 
     
     
         29 . The article of  claim 25 , wherein the structure comprises a conductive material. 
     
     
         30 . The article of  claim 25 , wherein the support is comprised in a cathode, anode, separator, solid electrolyte, or semi-solid electrolyte.