Synthesis, Properties, and Application of Composite Nanoparticles Obtained by Water Oxidation of Al/AlN/Cu Electroexplosive Nanopowder

In this work, for the preparation of AlOOH/CuO/Cu composite nanoparticles, nanoparticles based on Al, Cu, their compounds (Cu2Al, Cu9Al4, Cu4Al, CuAl), and AlN were first obtained and characterized. The regularities of the oxidation of Al/AlN/Cu nanoparticles in distilled water have been investigated. The optimal parameters for the synthesis of AlOOH/CuO/Cu composite nanoparticles from Al/AlN/Cu nanoparticles have been determined. The morphology of the obtained nanoparticles is shown using electron microscopy. The composition of the precursor and oxidation products was determined by the method of qualitative X-ray diffraction analysis. The average size of nanoparticles was determined by statistical processing of TEM images of nanoparticles. To construct the diagrams by size, the sizes of at least 1500 nanoparticles were taken into account. The specific surface area was investigated by thermal nitrogen desorption. To determine the optimal synthesis parameters, the oxidation reaction was carried out at different temperatures of 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90°C with an accuracy of maintaining the set temperature of ±0.1°C. During the oxidation reaction of Al/AlN/Cu with water, the pH of the reaction mixture was controlled. It was found that the optimum reaction temperature is 60°C. As a result of the synthesis, porous structures are formed, consisting of nanolobes of fine-crystalline boehmite with a size of 100–300 nm and a thickness of 5–7 nm, combined into agglomerates, in the center of which copper-based compounds are located. The specific surface area of the reaction products reaches 160 m2/g. The presence of AlN nanoparticles in the composition promotes a more complete conversion of copper and intermetallic compounds with the formation of CuO and Cu2O. It has been shown that the synthesized nanoparticles can be used as an antimicrobial component in the composition of hybrid materials based on polyvinylpyrrolidone and PEG alloy (400 and 20 000).