Nanocoatings on solids can be achieved by various processes, including sol-gel and atomic layer deposition. However, challenges remain for achieving uniform nanocoatings on nanoscale substrates at a large scale. Here, we report a versatile and fundamentally different technique, termed condensed layer deposition, for depositing conformal metal oxide nanocoatings on nanoparticles and nanofibers. This approach involves water in liquid hydrocarbons condensing as a nanoscale water film on the substrate surface, enabled by interfacial tension between polar water and nonpolar liquid hydrocarbons. Chemical precursors are then added, which react with the condensed water film to form a metal oxide nanocoating. We demonstrate this for titania, alumina, and niobia on substrates including carbon nanotubes, iron oxide particles and carbon black. Condensed layer deposition can achieve oxide nanocoatings on a variety of substrates with tunable thickness, in one pass, at room temperature.

固体上的纳米涂层可以通过各种方法实现，包括溶胶-凝胶和原子层沉积。然而，在大规模地在纳米级基底上实现均匀的纳米涂层方面仍然存在挑战。在这里，我们报告了一种称为凝结层沉积的通用且根本不同的技术，该技术用于在纳米颗粒和纳米纤维上沉积保形金属氧化物纳米涂层。这种方法涉及液态碳氢化合物中的水在基板表面上冷凝成纳米级水膜，这是由于极性水和非极性液态碳氢化合物之间的界面张力而引起的。然后添加化学前体，其与冷凝水膜反应以形成金属氧化物纳米涂层。我们在包括碳纳米管，氧化铁颗粒和炭黑的基材上证明了二氧化钛，氧化铝和氧化铌的性能。