Provided herein are core-shell heterostructures design comprising a metal (e.g., noble metal) nanoparticle core and a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) shell, and methods of preparation and use thereof. In particular embodiments, the core-shell heterostructures described herein are synthesized by direct growth of a monolayer or multilayer fullerene-like TMD shell on a metal (e.g., noble metal) nanoparticle core, exhibit unique Raman scattering and photoluminescence characteristics, and are useful, for example, in plasmonic hot electron enhanced optics and optoelectronics.

A method for preparing an electrode material, an electrode material, and a battery are provided to resolve a prior-art problem that a silicon negative electrode material in a battery is prone to pulverization in a fully intercalated state. The electrode material includes a layered silicon core and graphene quantum dots. The layered silicon core includes at least two layers of silicon-based materials, an interlayer gap exists between two neighboring layers of the at least two layers of silicon-based materials, and the silicon-based material includes at least one of silicon or an oxide of silicon. The graphene quantum dots are located in the interlayer gap between the at least two layers of silicon-based materials.

A method of making free-standing ALD-coated plasmonic nanoparticles. The method comprises providing a plurality of semiconductor quantum dots. One or more conformal layers of dielectric material are deposited over the quantum dots to form dielectric-coated quantum dots. A conformal metallic nanoshell is deposited over the dielectric-coated quantum dots to form plasmonic nanoparticles. At least one layer chosen from i) the conformal layers of dielectric material and ii) the conformal metallic nanoshell is deposited using a vapor phase atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. Plasmonic nanoparticles and systems employing the nanoparticles are also disclosed.

The present invention provides various passive electronic components comprising a layer of coated particles, and methods for producing and using the same. Some of the passive electronic components of the invention include, but are not limited to conductors, resistors, current collectors, capacitors, piezoelectronic devices, inductors and transformers. The present invention also provides energy storage devices and electrode layers for such energy storage devices having passive, electrically-conductive particles coated with one or more thin film materials.

Nanopowders containing nanoparticles having a core particle with a thin film coating. The core particles and thin film coatings are, independently, formed from at least one of a rare earth metal-containing oxide, a rare earth metal-containing fluoride, a rare earth metal-containing oxyfluoride or combinations thereof. The thin film coating may be formed using a non-line of sight technique such as atomic layer deposition (ALD). Also disclosed herein are nanoceramic materials formed from the nanopowders and methods of making and using the nanopowders.

An atomic layer deposition apparatus for powders is disclosed. The atomic layer deposition apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a shaft sealing device, and a driving unit. The shaft sealing device includes an outer tube and an inner tube, wherein the inner tube extends from an accommodating space of the outer tube to a reaction space of the vacuum chamber, forming a protruding tube part in the reaction space. The driving unit drives the vacuum chamber to rotate through the outer tube to agitate the powders in the reaction space. The ratio between the protruding tube part and the reaction space is within a specific range, so that a non-reactive gas delivered to the reaction space blows the powders around in the reaction space and spreads the powders to various areas of the reaction space to form a thin film with a uniform thickness on the surface of the powders.

An atomic layer deposition apparatus for coating on fine powders is disclosed, which includes a vacuum chamber, a shaft sealing device, and a driving unit. The shaft sealing device includes an outer tube and an inner tube arranged in an accommodating space of the outer tube. The driving unit drives the vacuum chamber to rotate through the outer tube to agitate the fine powders in a reaction space of the vacuum chamber. An air extraction line and an air intake line are arranged in a connection space of the inner tube. The air extraction line is used to extract gas from the reaction space. The air intake line is used to transport non-reactive gas to the reaction space to blow the fine powders around in the reaction space and precursor gas to the reaction space to form thin films with uniform thickness on the surface of the fine powders.

A detachable atomic layer deposition apparatus for powders is disclosed, which includes a vacuum chamber, a shaft sealing device, and a driving unit. The driving unit is connected to the shaft sealing device. The vacuum chamber is fixed to one end of the shaft sealing device via at least one fixing member. The driving unit drives the vacuum chamber to rotate via the shaft sealing device to agitate the powders in a reaction space of the vacuum chamber to facilitate the formation of thin films with uniform thickness on the surface of the powders. In addition, the vacuum chamber can be removed from the shaft sealing device for users to take out the powders from the vacuum chamber and clean the vacuum chamber, thereby improving the convenience in usage.

An atomic layer deposition apparatus for coating particles is disclosed. The atomic layer deposition apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a shaft sealing device, and a driving unit. The driving unit is connected to and drives the vacuum chamber to rotate through the shaft sealing device. The vacuum chamber includes a reaction space for accommodating a plurality of particles, wherein the reaction space has a polygonal columnar shape or a wavy circular columnar shape. An air extraction line and an air intake line are fluidly connected to the vacuum chamber, and the air intake line is used to transport a precursor gas and a non-reactive gas to the reaction space. Through the special shape of the reaction space together with the non-reactive gas, the particles in the reaction space can be effectively stirred to form a thin film with a uniform thickness on the surface of each particle.

A method of coating particles includes dispensing particles into a vacuum chamber to form a particle bed in at least a lower portion of the chamber that forms a half-cylinder, evacuating the chamber through a vacuum port in an upper portion of the chamber, rotating a paddle assembly such that a plurality of paddles orbit a drive shaft to stir the particles in the particle bed, injecting a reactant or precursor gas through a plurality of channels into the lower portion of the chamber as the paddle assembly rotates to coat the particles, and injecting the reactant or precursor gas or a purge gas through the plurality of channels at a sufficiently high velocity such that the reactant or precursor a purge gas de-agglomerates particles in the particle bed.