Patent ID: 8293203
Filing Date: 2012-10-23
Classification: B82Y,C01C,C01G,C01P,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of preparing nanosized copper (I) cyanide comprising the steps of: providing a first microemulsion having a polar phase to surfactant molar ratio of less than about 30 comprising: a low or non-polar continuous phase comprising a surfactant, and a discontinuous polar phase comprising a copper (II) precursor wherein the discontinuous polar phase comprises nanosized droplets of the copper (II) precursor; providing a second microemulsion having a polar phase to surfactant molar ratio of less than about 30 comprising: a low or non-polar continuous phase comprising a surfactant, and a discontinuous polar phase comprising a cyanide salt soluble in the polar phase wherein the discontinuous polar phase comprises nanosized droplets of the cyanide salt; combining the first and second microemulsions to form copper (II) cyanide; thermally decomposing the copper (II) cyanide to copper (I) cyanide; and collecting the nanosized copper (I) cyanide having an average particle size of less than 100 nanometers.