Functional nanoporous structures by partial sintering of nanorod assemblies

Mukherjee, B and Viswanathan, B and Ravishankar, N (2010) Functional nanoporous structures by partial sintering of nanorod assemblies. In: Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 43 (45).

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Abstract

We present a general method for the synthesis of functional nanoporous structures by heat treating a loose compact of nanorods. Partial sintering of such a compact leads to spherodization of the nanorods and their fusion at the contact regions leading to an interconnected porous microstructure. The pore diameter can be controlled by changing the original nanorod diameter. We illustrate the generality of the method using TiO2, ZnO and hydroxyapatite as model systems; the method is applicable for any material that can be grown in the form of nanorods. The kinetics of the sintering process can be significantly enhanced in systems in which additional driving forces for mass transport arise from phase transitions proving an ultrafast pathway for producing biphasic porous structures. The possibility of producing hierarchical porous structures using fugitive sintering aids makes this process ideal for a variety of applications including catalysis, photoanodes for solar cells and scaffolds for biomedical applications.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
Publisher:	Institute of Physics
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to Institute of Physics.
Department/Centre:	Division of Chemical Sciences > Materials Research Centre
Date Deposited:	18 Nov 2010 12:15
Last Modified:	18 Nov 2010 12:15
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/33832

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