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Breakthrough in Nanoparticle Technology: Samsung's Patent Offers New Opportunities

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers at Samsung have made significant advancements in nanoparticle technology with the patent of a method for preparing high refractive index nanoparticles and photonic crystal devices. The patent, filed on May 22, 2012, and published online on November 17, 2015, offers a novel approach to creating nanoparticles with uniform size distributions, which can be used in various fields, including displays and photonic crystals. This breakthrough has the potential to revolutionize the optical field, enabling the creation of new materials and devices with enhanced properties.

Key Takeaways:

  • The patent describes a method for preparing high refractive index nanoparticles by adding a polymer stabilizer to a solvent and forming high refractive index nanoparticles by adding high refractive index nanoparticle materials to the solvent and stirring the same.
  • The high refractive index nanoparticles can be prepared with a refractive index equal to or greater than 1.8 and sizes of the high refractive index nanoparticles can be determined by adjusting a content of the polymer stabilizer.
  • The high refractive index nanoparticles can include one of ZnS, TiO2, ZnO, and ZrO2, and the polymer stabilizer can be one of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyacrylic acid, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).
  • A content of the polymer stabilizer in the solvent can be from about 0.25 wt % to 2 wt % and a diameter of the high refractive index nanoparticles can be from about 50 nm to about 300 nm.
  • The high refractive index nanoparticles can be coated with a transparent material to have a core-shell structure, and the transparent material can be silica.
  • A photonic crystal device can be formed through self-assembly by high refractive index nanoparticles prepared by a method consisting of adding a polymer stabilizer to a solvent, and forming high refractive index nanoparticles by adding high refractive index nanoparticle materials to the solvent and stirring the same.
  • The photonic crystals can be fixed and can include a colloidal solution having the high refractive index nanoparticles dispersed in the solvent, and the photonic crystal device can further include electrodes configured to apply an electric field to the colloidal solution.
  • The photonic stop band of the photonic crystals including the high refractive index nanoparticles can continuously vary in at least a visible band according to a voltage applied to the electrodes.

Statistics:

  • The patent is assigned to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. with patent number 9187625.
  • The method described in the patent can prepare nanoparticles with a refractive index equal to or greater than 1.8.
  • The sizes of the high refractive index nanoparticles can be determined by adjusting a content of the polymer stabilizer to control an amount of the polymer stabilizer adsorbed to surfaces of the high refractive index nanoparticles.
  • The diameter of the high refractive index nanoparticles can be from about 50 nm to about 300 nm.
  • The photonic stop band of the photonic crystals including the high refractive index nanoparticles can continuously vary in at least a visible band according to a voltage applied to the electrodes.

Sources:

  • Han, Moon Gyu; Shim, HongShik; Shin, Chang Gyun; Jeon, Seog-jin. Method of Preparing High Refractive Nanoparticles, Nanoparticles Prepared by the Method, and Photonic Crystal Device Using the Nanoparticles. U.S. Patent Number 9187625, filed May 22, 2012, and published online on November 17, 2015. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=9187625.PN.&OS=PN/9187625RS=PN/9187625

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