Self-Assembly Patterns Formed by Lateral Capillary Force Within Carbon Nanotube Arrays
Abstract
The many unique properties of carbon nanotubes make them ideal candidates for use in working at the nanometer to micron length scales. Following initial preliminary experiments, we applied small amounts of liquid solutions, including pure water, surfactant solutions, and microspheres, to carbon nanotube arrays and then dried them in a controlled manner. Observations were made using optical and electron microscopy. Interesting rearrangement patterns of nanotubes were observed during the drying process, and characteristic features were of size orders much larger than single nanotubes. Experiments show that there are several requirements for this process to occur, including local geometry, liquid penetration of the array, appropriate initiation of drying, and evaporation rate. We believe the observed rearrangements are due to lateral capillary forces causing patterns of nanotube clumping. This is in analogy to previous work done on 2-D colloid crystal formation with latex microspheres in thinning liquid films and mutual attraction of glass micro-capillary tubes placed in close proximity while piercing a liquid-air interface. By elucidation of this process, a step is made toward the design of useful devices incorporating liquids and carbon nanotubes, such as biomolecular analyzers, flow sensors, and actuators.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- November 2003
- Bibcode:
- 2003APS..DFD.AQ002S