Patent ID: 9574136
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: A01N,B01D,B01J,B22F,B27K,B82Y,C01P,C08J,C09C,C09K,C23C,H01M,Y02E,Y10S,Y10T

Claim:
1. A method for making metallic-core carbon-shell nanoparticles, said method comprising the steps of: (a) impregnating biological fibers with a solution of metal ions in an aqueous or non-aqueous solvent; (b) removing the solvent, while leaving at least some of the metal ions impregnated in the fibers; and (c) heating the metal-ion-impregnated fibers in an inert atmosphere or in a vacuum to a temperature that carbonizes at least some of the fibers, that does not vaporize most of the carbon, that reduces at least some of the metal ions to metal particles in a zero oxidation state, and that causes a carbon shell to form around and to completely enclose most of the zero-oxidation-state metal particles; wherein no reducing agent is present during the reduction step, other than said biological fibers themselves; and wherein the reduction of the metal ions to metal particles in a zero oxidation state, and the formation of the carbon shell around the zero-oxidation state metal particles occur simultaneously.