Patent ID: 8715781

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a nanoballoon system, the method comprising: fabricating a packed structure of nanoparticles, the fabricating comprising: filtering or centrifuging nanoparticles, wherein each nanoparticle of the packed structure has a diameter greater than 0 nm and less than 1000 nm; creating a porous polymer template, the creating comprising: filling voids in the packed structure of nanoparticles with a monomer; polymerizing the monomer; and selectively removing the packed structure to leave a porous polymer template having voids therein; and producing metal carbide nanoballoons in the voids of the porous polymer template, the producing comprising: preparing nanoballoon precursors; filling voids in the porous polymer template with the nanoballoon precursors; converting the nanoballoon precursors into metal nanoparticles in the voids via a solution phase process at a temperature less than 0° C., wherein the nanoballoon precursors are metal alkyl organometallic compounds; and converting the metal nanoparticles into metal carbide nanoballoons in the voids of the porous polymer template; and selectively removing the porous polymer template, wherein each of the metal carbide nanoballoons is hollow and has a diameter greater than 0 nm and less than 1000 nm, the metal carbide nanoballoons being agglomerated.