Nanometer positioning, parallel alignment, and placement of single anisotropic nanoparticles using hydrodynamic forces in cylindrical droplets

Research areas:
  • Uncategorized
Year: 2007
Type of Publication: Article
Authors:
  • Richa Sharma, Jong Hyun Choi Chang Young Lee
Journal: Nano Letters Volume: 7
Number: 9 Pages: 2693-2700
Month: SEP 2007
Note:
PT: J; TC: 30; UT: WOS:000249501900028
Abstract:
Droplets of liquid drying on a surface with pinned contact area develop an internal hydrodynamic flow that carries entrained particles to the air-liquid-substrate interface. We use this phenomenon in cylindrical, micrometer-sized droplets of large aspect ratio (more than 1000:1) to align, position, and place individual anisotropic nanostructures such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT). More than 84% of SWNT are aligned in parallel within 50 relative to the target axis of alignment. A potential flow model accurately describes and quantifies the statistical variation in the positioning of the nanostructures. We demonstrate for the first time the top-down parallel alignment and placement of individual (unbundled) nanotubes from solution electrically contacted across gold electrodes.