US Patent 7294417 - Branching metal oxide nanostructures

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7294417.html

There are a variety of metal oxide nanostructures known but most are in the form of simple particulate or one-dimensional structures. This patent from Boston College teaches the formation of more complex metal oxide nanostructures having high surface to volume characteristics. Claim 24 is representative.

24. A metal oxide material comprising: a central three-dimensional nanostructure having a linear axis formed from at least one metallic oxide; and at least three three-dimensional nanostructures formed from at least one metallic oxide, wherein a distal end of each of the three-dimensional nanostructures is attached to the central three-dimensional nanostructure between a first end and a second end of the central three-dimensional nanostructure.