(205f) Gas Phase Coating of Fluidized Particles: Towards Ton-Scale Production with Nano-Precision

Nanostructured particles (e.g., core-shell nanoparticles or porous micro-particles containing nanoparticles) have high potential in applications such as catalysis and energy storage. However, to come from product design incorporating nanostructuring to actually making such materials at relevant scales is not trivial. Gas-phase coating using techniques such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) and molecular layer deposition (MLD) can be used to provide the surface of a particle with either an ultrathin continuous coating or a decoration of nanoclusters. In this way, we can take benefit from the wide range of chemistries that has been developed over the years for ALD and MLD.

When carried out in a fluidized bed or a pneumatic transport reactor, gas-phase coating is an attractive way of producing nanostructured particles with excellent scale-up potential. Even nanopowders can be fluidized to be processed this way, although they are not present as individual particles but as very dilute agglomerates. Since this often involves cohesive materials, an effort has to be made to obtain proper dispersion of the particle.

I will show some examples of the use of ALD and MLD to powders. I will demonstrate how it can be used to dramatically increase the lifetime of cathode powders for Li-ion batteries and phosphor particles for LED lights. Moreover, the application to various areas of catalysis – photo-, electro-, and thermal catalysis – will be discussed.