Recent Patents on Nanotechnology - Volume 11, Issue 2, 2017

Background: Nanocomposites (integrating the nano and composite technologies) for advanced fuel cells (NANOCOFC) demonstrate the great potential to reduce the operational temperature of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) significantly in the low temperature (LT) range 300-600ºC. NANOCOFC has offered the development of multi-functional materials composed of semiconductor and ionic materials to meet the requirements of low temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LTSOFC) and green energy conversion devices with their unique mechanisms. Description: This work reviews the recent developments relevant to the devices and the patents in LTSOFCs from nanotechnology perspectives that reports advances including fabrication methods, material compositions, characterization techniques and cell performances. Conclusion: Finally, the future scope of LTSOFC with nanotechnology and the practical applications are also discussed.

Background: Graphene (GRP) is an interesting class of nano-structured electronic materials for various cutting-edge applications. Objective: To date, extensive research activities have been performed on the investigation of diverse properties of GRP. The incorporation of this elegant material can be very lucrative in terms of practical applications in energy storage/conversion systems. Method: Among various those systems, high performance electrochemical capacitors (ECs) have become popular due to the recent need for energy efficient and portable devices. Therefore, in this article, the application of GRP for capacitors is described succinctly. In particular, a concise summary on the previous research activities regarding GRP based capacitors is also covered extensively. Result: It was revealed that a lot of secondary materials such as polymers and metal oxides have been introduced to improve the performance. Also, diverse devices have been combined with capacitors for better use. Conclusion: More importantly, recent patents related to the preparation and application of GRP based capacitors are also introduced briefly. This article can provide essential information for future study

Objective: Thermal energy storage (TES) systems using phase change materials (PCM) have been lately studied and are presented as one of the key solutions for the implementation of renewable energies. These systems take advantage of the latent heat of phase change of PCM during their melting/ solidification processes to store or release heat depending on the needs and availability. Low thermal conductivity and latent heat are the main disadvantages of organic PCM, while corrosion, subcooling and thermal stability are the prime problems that inorganic PCM present. Prevention: Nanotechnology can be used to overcome these drawbacks. Nano-enhanced PCM are obtained by the dispersion of nanoparticles in the base material and thermal properties such as thermal conductivity, viscosity and specific heat capacity, within others, can be enhanced. This paper presents a review of the patents regarding the obtaining of nano-enhanced materials for thermal energy storage (TES) in order to realize the development nanotechnologies have gained in the TES field. Conclusion: Patents regarding the synthesis methods to obtain nano-enhanced phase materials (NEPCM) and TES systems using NEPCM have been found and are presented in the paper. The few existing number of patents found is a clear indicator of the recent and thus low development nanotechnology has in the TES field so far. Nevertheless, the results obtained with the reviewed inventions already show the big potential that nanotechnology has in TES and denote a more than probable expansion of its use in the next years.

Background: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are attractive nanostructures in this regard, primarily due to their high aspect ratio coupled with high thermal and electrical conductivities. Consequently, CNT polymer composites have been extensively investigated for various applications, owing to their light weight and processibility. However, there have been several issues affecting the utilization of CNTs, such as aggregation (bundling) which leads to a non-uniform dispersion and poor interfacial bonding of the CNTs with the polymer, resulting in variation in composite performance, along with the additional issue of high cost of CNTs. Description: In this article, recent research and patents for polymer composites containing carbon nanomaterial are presented and summarized. In addition, a rationale for optimally designed carbon nanotube polymer composites and their applications are suggested. Above the electrical percolation threshold, a transition from insulator to conductor occurs. The percolation threshold values of CNT composite are dependent on filler shape, intrinsic properties of filler, type of polymer, CNT dispersion condition and so on. Different values of percolation threshold CNT polymer composites have been summarized. The difference in percolation threshold and conductivity of CNT composites could be explained by the degree of effective interactions between nanotubes and polymer matrix. The reaction between surface functional groups of CNTs and polymer could contribute to better dispersion of CNTs in polymer matrix. Consequently, it increased the number of electrical networks of CNTs in polymer, resulting in an enhancement of composite conductivity. In addition, to exfoliate nanotubes from heavy bundles, ultrasonication with proper solvent and three roll milling processes were used. Potential reactions of covalent bonding between functionalized CNTs and polymer were suggested based on the above rationale. Conclusion: Through the use of CNT functionalization, high aspect ratio CNTs, and proper fabrication, uniform dispersion of nanotubes in polymer can be achieved leading to considerable improvement in electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding properties.

Objective: In this brief review, the importance of nanotechnology in developing novel magnetic energy storage materials is discussed. Method: The discussion covers recent patents on permanent magnetic materials and especially covers processing of permanent magnets (rare-earth and rare-earth free magnets), importance of rare-earth permanent magnets and necessity of rare-earth free permanent magnets. Magnetic energy storage materials are those magnetic materials which exhibit very high energy product (BH)max (where B is the magnetic induction in Gauss (G) whereas H is the applied magnetic field in Oersted (Oe)). (BH)max is the direct measure of the ability of a magnetic material to store energy. Result: In this context, processing of magnetic energy storage composite materials constituted by soft and hard magnetic materials played a predominant role in achieving high (BH)max values due to the exchange coupling phenomenon between the soft and hard magnetic phases within the composite. Magnetic energy storage composites are normally composed of rare-earth magnetic materials as well as rare-earth free magnetic materials. Conclusion: Nanotechnology's influence on the enhancement of energy product due to the exchange coupling phenomenon is of great prominence and therefore discussed in this review.

Background: Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) have received considerable attention as large-scale electrochemical energy storage systems. In particular, VRFBs offer a higher power and energy density than other RFBs and mitigate undesirable performance fading, such as inevitable ion crossover, because of the unique advantage that only the vanadium ion is employed as the active species in the two electrolytes. Description: The key constituent of VRFBs is a separator to conduct protons and prevent cross-mixing of the positive and negative electrolytes. For this purpose, ion exchange membranes like sulfonated polymer membranes can be used. Although this type of membrane does not have ion exchange groups, it can achieve an ion exchange capacity by the formation of pores. Conclusion: This review highlights the patents on the preparation of non-fluorinated membranes (sulfonated aromatic polymer membranes and porous membranes) as alternatives to high-cost perfluorinated polymers and their VRFB performance.

Background: Most of the chemical substances which emerge out as potential drug candidates (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) are either weak acids or weak bases. The poor aqueous solubility of these drug substances is a common concern. Several R centers are focused on developing suitable, economic, simpler and more feasible solubility enhancement techniques for increasing the solubility and thereby bioavailability of such drug substances. Nanocrystals are one of the preferred approaches for solubility enhancement in the last few decades. Methods: Nanocrystal as a solubility enhancement approach is widely explored and discussed by many researchers. Despite being the most simple and feasible technique, nanocrystal formulation has its own limitations. The present review enlightens some novel technologies which can overcome disadvantages of conventionally well-established bottom-up and top-down techniques used for nanocrystal formulation. Results/Applications: The present review summarizes and also highlights the correlation between some novel findings like reduction in the melting point of drug and nanocrystal formulation. The review also includes a special section emphasizing on the patents granted in the field of nanocrystals. The review includes more than ten patents focusing on several aspects of nanocrystal formulations as manufacturing methods, formulation components and conventional and novel applications of nanocrystals in new and hybrid forms. Aspects related to advantages of nanocrystals over other formulation approaches, targeting (Active and Passive) through nanocrystal formulations and issues related to nanotoxicity are also reviewed and discussed in the present article. Conclusion: The findings, research outcomes and patents related to nanocrystal formulations, reported in the present review confirm the potential of the stated system as a drug delivery tool. The review emphasizes on the urge for further exploration required in the area of nanocrystal system for enhancing its efficiency as a drug delivery and a diagnostic tool.

Backgroud: The transparent conductive ZnO film is widely used in solar cell. Enhancing the transmittance and electrical conductivity of the films is attracting many attentions to improve cell efficiency. Methods: This work focuses on the fabrication and potential application of the various cation-doped ZnO materials in recent patents and literature and then presents the La codoping effects of Al-doped ZnO films. Films were deposited by a sol-gel route and characterized by various techniques including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, UV-vis and luminescent spectroscopies, and electrical conduction analysis. Results: The UV-vis. transmittance and band gap increased and then decreased, whereas the resistivity decreased and then slightly increased with the increase in La/Al ratio. The La/Al ratio of 0.0105 led to a maximal transmittance, a widest band gap, and a minimal resistivity. The films also illustrated a near band gap emission and some intrinsic defect-related emissions with varied intensity with La/Al ratio. Conclusion: This work reveal that the electrical and optical properties of the ZnO:Al films can be well enhanced by La codoping. This is significant to the applications of the ZnO:Al materials.

Background: The widespread entrance of antibiotics from the pharmaceuticals industry and human medication into aquatic environment increased concern over public health. Due to the importance of the antibiotics removal, a considerable amount of patents reported the conventional methods for the removal of antibiotics from the wastewaters. However, newly of patents reported improvements in the removal capacity. The present study focuses on the removal of Penicillin using a nanocomposite of zinc oxide/natural-Zeolite. Methods: A nano-composite of zinc oxide/natural-Zeolite was synthesized by mechanical method. The obtained microstructure was characterized by FE-SEM, XRD, EDX, and DLS techniques. The prepared nanocomposite is used for the removal of penicillin from aqueous solution. Results: Two different phases were identified in XRD patterns as hexagonal ZnO and orthorhombic Zeolite with the average crystal size of 86 and 141 nm respectively. The prepared nanocomposite consists of uniform particles with the mean diameter of near 91 nm. The prepared nanocomposite is used for the removal of penicillin from aqueous solution. It exhibited high removal performance in adsorption of penicillin antibiotic. The effects of penicillin concentration, catalyst amount, and pH on the adsorption were studied. The equilibrium adsorption data were analyzed using Langmuir, Temkin and Freundlich equations at room temperature. The Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin constants were determined as -1.93, 410.2, and 3.87 respectively. The adsorption of Penicillin is followed from Freundlich (R2 = 0.979) equation. Adsorption kinetics followed the intra-particle diffusion model. Conclusion: A high efficient procedure for the removal of penicillin was developed using ZnO/ natural-Zeolite nano-composite as useful catalysts.