Patterning catalyst via inkjet printing to grow single-walled carbon nanotubes

We demonstrated a method to pattern catalyst via inkjet printing to grow SWNTs, using metal salt solutions as the inks and an ordinary office-use printer. We printed water solutions of cobalt acetate on hydrophilic Si substrates and grew high quality SWNT films.     

Fabrication of the First Disposable Three‐dimensional Paper‐based Concentration Cell as Ammonia Sensor with a New Method for Paper Hydrophobization by Laser Patterned Parafilm®

A new, simple and low‐cost method for patterning hydrophobic barriers in porous support such as paper by Parafilm® has been introduced. This method is then used for electrochemical paper‐based ammonia sensor construction. Ammonia sensor is based on electrochemical concentration cell which ammonia reaction with electrolyte in halves cell caused in concentration gradient and therefore potential difference dependent on ammonia concentration. The effect of concentrations of the involved chemicals, time periods of the required processes, the presence of Faraday cage as well as the effects of different salts used in the salt bridge on the response of the sensor, were investigated in order to find the optimized conditions.     

Carbon nanotube dielectrophoresis: Theory and applications

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are one of the most extensively studied nanomaterials in the 21st century. Since their discovery in 1991, many studies have been reported advancing our knowledge in terms of their structure, properties, synthesis, and applications. CNTs exhibit unique electrothermal and conductive properties which, combined with their mechanical strength, have led to tremendous attention of CNTs as a nanoscale material in the past two decades. To introduce the various types of CNTs, we first provide basic information on their structure followed by some intriguing properties and a brief overview of synthesis methods. Although impressive advances have been demonstrated with CNTs, critical applications require purification, positioning, and separation to yield desired properties and functional elements. Here, we review a versatile technique to manipulate CNTs based on their dielectric properties, namely dielectrophoresis (DEP). A detailed discussion on the DEP aspects of CNTs including the theory and various technical microfluidic realizations is provided. Various advancements in DEP-based manipulations of single-walled and multiwalled CNTs are also discussed with special emphasis on applications involving separation, purification, sensing, and nanofabrication.     

Stencil lithography of gold-black IR absorption coatings

Gold black coatings are deposited through a stencil shadow mask to produce infrared-absorbing patterns with sub-mm lateral dimensions. Such dimensions match the characteristic pitch of Long Wave Infrared (LWIR) array bolometers. Infrared spectral imaging with sub-micron spatial resolution reveals the spatial distribution of absorption across the pattern.     

Synthesis and characterization of a nanostructured photoluminescent silsesquioxane containing urea and dodecyl groups that can be patterned on carbon films

A silsesquioxane was synthesized by the hydrolysis and polycondensation of (EtO)₃Si(CH₂)₃NHCONH(CH₂)₁₁CH₃ in tetrahydrofuran (THF) employing formic acid as catalyst. The silsesquioxane self-assembled into nanorods due to the strong H-bonds among urea groups and the tail-to-tail associations of organic chains. The nanostructuration was characterized by a variety of experimental techniques (FTIR, ²⁹Si NMR, XRD, TEM, HRTEM, and SAED). A colloidal solution of the silsesquioxane in methanol was deposited on a carbon film generating coffee ring structures with nanoparticles located at the boundary of rings. The significance of these results is related to the intrinsic photoluminescence of silsesquioxanes containing urea groups. The possibility of patterning these hybrid polymers on a surface can give place to materials exhibiting periodically modulated optical properties with potential applications in optoelectronics and light-emitting devices.     

Magnetic control of chemical transformations: application for programmed electrocatalysis and surface patterning

Lateral translocation of electrocatalyst-modified magnetic particles was achieved upon application of an external magnetic field. Programmed electrocatalytic reactions at different electrodes or different areas of an electrode were performed. The spatially controlled electrocatalytic reactions were exemplified with NADH electrocatalytic oxidation and with bioelectrocatalytic electrode patterning. The method will be particularly useful for programmed electrochemical reactions at interdigitated electrodes.     

Direct laser interference patterning of multi-walled carbon nanotube-based transparent conductive coatings

Topographical structures were created on the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotube-based coatings deposited on borosilicate glass using the direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) technique. Films made by multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) dispersed in antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) matrix and networks of MWNTs with both low and high adherence to the substrates were irradiated with one single laser pulse. Due to the high absorption coefficient of ATO, the film was completely removed at the interference maxima positions leading to periodic arrays of high quality on macroscopic areas. Additionally, increase of the laser fluence has produced wider ablated regions. Irradiation of high adherent networks of MWNTs produced a periodic porous structure, what has been attributed to the presence of adherence promoters in the film. On the other hand, MWNT networks with low adhesion to the substrate were strongly removed at the interference maxima positions. In this case, however, the fabricated periodic structures presented several defects that result from the poor adherence of the film to the substrate.     

Ultrafast laser ablation of indium tin oxide thin films for organic light-emitting diode application

Ultrafast laser ablation of ITO thin film coated on the glass has been investigated as a function of laser fluence as well as the number of laser pulses. The ablation threshold of ITO thin film was found to be 0.07 J/cm² that is much lower than that of glass substrate (about 1.2–1.6 J/cm²), which leads to a selective ablation of ITO film without damage on glass substrate. The changes in the electrical resistance and morphology of ablated trench of ITO electrode were found to be strongly dependent on the processing conditions. We present the performance of organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) fabricated with ITO electrode patterned by ultrafast laser ablation.     

具有超疏水性质的图案化Ag膜

以重氮树脂(DR)/聚丙烯酸(PAA)自组装膜的微图案作为模板, 通过DNA和聚二甲基二烯丙基氯化铵(PDDA)在模板上的层层沉积制备了图案化的DNA膜. 再在其中进行Ag的化学沉积得到图案化的Ag膜. 最后利用低表面能的十二烷基硫醇对Ag膜进行表面修饰, 制备了具有超疏水性质的图案化Ag膜. 其静态接触角达到约168°.     

细胞图案化研究进展

细胞图案化是一种研究和控制细胞行为的有效实验方法, 广泛用于细胞生物学、组织工程学、药物筛选和创伤治疗等各个研究领域. 介绍了各种细胞图案化的制备方法, 并对细胞图案化中涉及的特征物质以及有关动态基底作了简要评述.