Provided are a boron-nitride nanoplatelet(s) (BNNP)/metal nanocomposite powder and a preparing method thereof, the BNNP/metal nanocomposite powder including a base metal and BNNP dispersed in the base metal and configured to serve as a reinforcement of the base metal, wherein the BNNP are interposed between metal particles of the base metal in the form of a thin film of a plurality of layers and combined with the metal particles, and an amount of the BNNP in the base metal is greater than 0 vol % and less than 90 vol %.

Provided are a boron-nitride nanoplatelet(s) (BNNP)/metal nanocomposite powder and a preparing method thereof, the BNNP/metal nanocomposite powder including a base metal and BNNP dispersed in the base metal and configured to serve as a reinforcement of the base metal, wherein the BNNP are interposed between metal particles of the base metal in the form of a thin film of a plurality of layers and combined with the metal particles, and an amount of the BNNP in the base metal is greater than 0 vol % and less than 90 vol %.

The method of producing silver nanoparticles using red sand may include the steps of adding red sand to water, mixing the red sand in the water, removing a supernatant from the red sand in water mixture after the mixture has settled, adding sodium hydroxide to the supernatant to form an alkaline solution, adding silver nitrate (AgNO.sub.3) to the solution, and isolating a precipitated reaction product including the silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticles produced according to this method have antibacterial activity, whether used alone or in combination with standard antibiotics.

The method of producing silver nanoparticles using red sand may include the steps of adding red sand to water, mixing the red sand in the water, removing a supernatant from the red sand in water mixture after the mixture has settled, adding sodium hydroxide to the supernatant to form an alkaline solution, adding silver nitrate (AgNO.sub.3) to the solution, and isolating a precipitated reaction product including the silver nanoparticles. The silver nanoparticles produced according to this method have antibacterial activity, whether used alone or in combination with standard antibiotics.

Use of heterogeneous nucleation allows the localized reduction of metal salt and also cross-link the carbon precursor in the same region. This cross-linked matrix act as the secondary heterogeneous sites for spontaneous Nano particle synthesis and growth during the process of pyrolysis. Selectively creating heterogeneous sites and reducing the metal precursor using highly focused energy beams create various metal-carbon composites with controlled metal positioning. This is such a unique process where a pretreatment process will control the fabrication of complex metal-carbon composite nano and microstructures. This greatly simplifies the fabrication process, facilitating nanostructures like Nano metal bulbs, nanometal pointed nanogaps and metal sandwich structures with such process. With several advantages ranging from electronics, catalysis, optics and several other bio-functionalization technologies, this enables materials with unique and hybrid advantages. Moreover, fabrication of micro and Nano level structures provides a CMEMS and BIOMEMS relevant approach for wide range of applications.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a base material for a printed circuit board includes: an insulating base film; a sintered body layer that is layered on at least one surface of the base film and that is formed of a plurality of sintered metal particles; and an electroless plating layer that is layered on a surface of the sintered body layer that is opposite to the base film, wherein an area rate of sintered bodies of the metal particles in a cross section of the sintered body layer is greater than or equal to 50% and less than or equal to 90%.

Metal nanoparticles and compositions derived therefrom can be used in a number of different applications. Methods for making metal nanoparticles can include providing a first metal salt in a solvent; converting the first metal salt into an insoluble compound that constitutes a plurality of nanoparticle seeds; and after forming the plurality of nanoparticle seeds, reacting a reducing agent with at least a portion of a second metal salt in the presence of at least one surfactant and the plurality of nanoparticle seeds to form a plurality of metal nanoparticles. Each metal nanoparticle can include a metal shell formed around a nucleus derived from a nanoparticle seed, and the metal shell can include a metal from the second metal salt. The methods can be readily scaled to produce bulk quantities of metal nanoparticles.

Metal nanoparticles and compositions derived therefrom can be used in a number of different applications. Methods for making metal nanoparticles can include providing a first metal salt in a solvent; converting the first metal salt into an insoluble compound that constitutes a plurality of nanoparticle seeds; and after forming the plurality of nanoparticle seeds, reacting a reducing agent with at least a portion of a second metal salt in the presence of at least one surfactant and the plurality of nanoparticle seeds to form a plurality of metal nanoparticles. Each metal nanoparticle can include a metal shell formed around a nucleus derived from a nanoparticle seed, and the metal shell can include a metal from the second metal salt. The methods can be readily scaled to produce bulk quantities of metal nanoparticles.

A system and method of providing metal comprising objects via additive manufacturing techniques using an RES mixture. The RES process mixes a precursor compound and a chemical agent which thermally decomposes to form typically CO, H.sub.2, NH.sub.x, or some other reducing agent. Using the RES mixture, the additive manufacturing device reproduces an object from a sliced object model file layer-by-layer. Heat is applied to the patterned RES mixture to thermally decompose the chemical agent and reduce the precursor compound to a reduced metal species. This heating and reduction transforms the RES mixture from a general paste having little to no shear strength to an solid form exhibiting a much greater shear strength, allowing layer-by-layer generation of 3D object components.

A system and method of providing metal comprising objects via additive manufacturing techniques using an RES mixture. The RES process mixes a precursor compound and a chemical agent which thermally decomposes to form typically CO, H.sub.2, NH.sub.x, or some other reducing agent. Using the RES mixture, the additive manufacturing device reproduces an object from a sliced object model file layer-by-layer. Heat is applied to the patterned RES mixture to thermally decompose the chemical agent and reduce the precursor compound to a reduced metal species. This heating and reduction transforms the RES mixture from a general paste having little to no shear strength to an solid form exhibiting a much greater shear strength, allowing layer-by-layer generation of 3D object components.