Selective placement of carbon nanotubes via coulombic attraction of oppositely charged carbon nanotubes and self-assembled monolayers

摘要

A method of forming a structure having selectively placed carbon nanotubes, a method of making charged carbon nanotubes, a bi-functional precursor, and a structure having a high density carbon nanotube layer with minimal bundling. Carbon nanotubes are selectively placed on a substrate having two regions. The first region has an isoelectric point exceeding the second region's isoelectric point. The substrate is immersed in a solution of a bi-functional precursor having anchoring and charged ends. The anchoring end bonds to the first region to form a self-assembled monolayer having a charged end. The substrate with charged monolayer is immersed in a solution of carbon nanotubes having an opposite charge to form a carbon nanotube layer on the self-assembled monolayer. The charged carbon nanotubes are made by functionalization or coating with an ionic surfactant.

主权项

1. A method of forming a structure having selectively placed carbon nanotubes (“CNTs”), the method comprising:
providing a substrate having a surface; contacting the surface of the substrate and a solution of a precursor molecule to form a self-assembled monolayer, the precursor molecule having a first functional group to anchor the monolayer to the substrate and a second functional group having a first ionic charge moiety on the surface of the self-assembled monolayer; forming a plurality of CNTs having a second ionic charge moiety by bonding the plurality of CNTs with an organic molecule having a carboxylic acid ester group to form a plurality of functionalized CNTs, and converting the carboxylic acid ester group to the second ionic charge moiety; and contacting the surface of the self-assembled monolayer and a dispersion of the plurality of CNTs having the second ionic charge moiety; wherein the first and second ionic charge moieties are oppositely charged and form a bond between the self-assembled monolayer and the plurality of CNTs and forming the plurality of CNTs is performed prior to contacting the substrate with the dispersion of the plurality of CNTs.