Aligned Carbon Nanotube–Based Flexible Gel Substrates for Engineering Biohybrid Tissue Actuators

Muscle‐based biohybrid actuators have generated significant interest as the future of biorobotics but so far they move without having much control over their actuation behavior. Integration of microelectrodes into the backbone of these systems may enable guidance during their motion and allow precise control over these actuators with specific activation patterns. Here, this challenge is addressed by developing aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) forest microelectrode arrays and incorporating them into scaffolds for cell stimulation. Aligned CNTs are successfully embedded into flexible and biocompatible hydrogels exhibiting excellent anisotropic electrical conductivity. Bioactuators are then engineered by culturing cardiomyocytes on the CNT microelectrode‐integrated hydrogel constructs. The resulting cardiac tissue shows homogeneous cell organization with improved cell‐to‐cell coupling and maturation, which is directly related to the contractile force of muscle tissue. This centimeter‐scale bioactuator has excellent mechanical integrity, embedded microelectrodes, and is capable of spontaneous actuation behavior. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that a biohybrid machine can be controlled by an external electrical field provided by the integrated CNT microelectrode arrays. In addition, due to the anisotropic electrical conductivity of the electrodes provided by aligned CNTs, significantly different excitation thresholds are observed in different configurations such as the ones with electrical fields applied in directions parallel versus perpendicular to the CNT alignment.     

场发射阵列阴极(FEA)在微波器件中的应用

分析了场发射阵列阴极的跨导、电容以及阵列阴极的发射电流密度、电子束直径、电流稳定性对微波器件性能的影响,并提出了相应的改善措施,有效地提高了微波器件的性能.最后,概述了金刚石薄膜及碳纳米管阵列阴极在微波器件中的应用情况,目前虽然还不成熟,却显得有极大的潜力.     

基于Parylene的柔性微电极阵列微加工工艺研究

基底集成的柔性微电极阵列(MEAs)从一个全新的角度演绎了植入式神经系统,对神经进行电刺激并记录神经电信号.以一种新型聚合物材料聚对二甲苯(parylene)为基底,制备出了用于神经接口的柔性神经微电极阵列.采用MEMS加工技术,设计了一种基于parylene柔性神经微电极阵列的加工工艺方法,并讨论了在流片过程中的关键问题,如掩膜层的选择、电极的剥离及焊接与封装等.该柔性微电极阵列在用于视觉假体的神经接口方面具有独特的应用优势.     

场发射阵列阴极在行波管中的应用

场发射阵列阴极应用于行波管的不足主要表现在：FEAs发射不稳定、阴极发射电流密度较低及电子束存在散焦的问题．分析了产生这些问题的主要原因。提出了相应的解决方案,主要包括：提高真空度,选择合适的发射体材料,增加电阻层等,以提高电子发射的稳定性;优化发射体结构参量,改善制作方法等,以增大阴极发射的电流密度;对电子枪结构进行修改,解决电子柬散焦等问题。最后,概述了新型材料——碳纳米管在行波管中的应用现状,目前虽然还不成熟,却表现出了极大的潜力：     

柔性神经微电极阵列设计及微加工工艺研究

采用聚对二甲苯(parylene)作为基底,通过对柔性神经微电极阵列结构、引线排布、电极材料等进行优化选择和设计,并采用微机电加工工艺(MEMS),设计并研制出了2×8柔性神经微电极阵列,旨在为视网膜神经接口电极的研究开发奠定基础.     

Microwave‐Induced Controlled Purification of Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes without Sidewall Functionalization

A microwave‐induced controlled method for the purification of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by removing residual metal catalysts and carbonaceous impurities is reported. Compared to conventional strong acid treatment, this one‐step method uses dilute acids and complexing agents and reduces the reaction times to the order of minutes. Furthermore, the SWCNTs retain their chemical and physical properties and are not functionalized. Electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and atomic absorption (AA) spectrometry studies were used to characterize the purified SWCNTs.     

碳纳米管制备及其生长机制研究

采用乙醇催化燃烧法,以钴盐作为催化剂先体、薄铜片作为基底制备碳纳米管。分别以氯化钴、硝酸钴和硫酸钴作为催化剂先体,研究了不同催化剂先体对碳纳米管生长的影响;利用扫描电镜,透射电镜对碳纳米材料的形貌和结构进行了表征,研究了不同钴盐的催化剂先体对碳纳米管形态与结构的影响,讨论了碳纳米管的生长机制。实验发现,其他制备条件相同,当催化剂先体为氯化钴时,碳纳米管与大量絮状杂质缠绕在一起;当催化剂先体为硝酸钴时,碳纳米管容易形成弯曲、不规则的波浪形结构;而当催化剂先体为硫酸钴时,实验所得的碳纳米材料几乎全为取向规则、直径均一的碳纳米纤维,只观察到少量碳纳米管。     

用FeCl_3作催化剂先体制备碳纳米结构

以不同浓度的FeCl3溶液作为催化剂先体,利用乙醇催化燃烧法,在铜片上生长出了碳纳米管和碳纳米纤维。讨论了不同浓度的FeCl3催化剂先体对生长碳纳米材料产物和形貌的影响。利用扫描电镜,透射电镜和喇曼光谱对样品的形貌和结构进行了表征。实验结果表明,随着催化剂先体浓度增大,碳纳米材料产量增大,直径呈现增大趋势,其直径范围也逐渐变大。当催化剂先体浓度为0.01mol/L时,可以制备出直径较小的碳纳米管;当催化剂先体浓度为0.1mol/L时,可以制备出直径分布均匀的碳纳米管与碳纳米纤维的混合物;当催化剂先体浓度为1mol/L时,可以制备出直径分布不均匀的碳纳米纤维。     

碳纳米管制备及其生长机制研究

采用乙醇催化燃烧法，以钴盐作为催化剂先体、薄铜片作为基底制备碳纳米管。分别以氯化钴、硝酸钴和硫酸钴作为催化剂先体，研究了不同催化剂先体对碳纳米管生长的影响；利用扫描电镜，透射电镜对碳纳米材料的形貌和结构进行了表征，研究了不同钴盐的催化剂先体对碳纳米管形态与结构的影响，讨论了碳纳米管的生长机制。实验发现，其他制备条件相同，当催化剂先体为氯化钴时，碳纳米管与大量絮状杂质缠绕在一起；当催化剂先体为硝酸钴时，碳纳米管容易形成弯曲、不规则的波浪形结构；而当催化剂先体为硫酸钴时，实验所得的碳纳米材料几乎全为取向规则、直径均一的碳纳米纤维，只观察到少量碳纳米管。     

碳纳米管团聚结构的电镜研究

纳米聚团床催化裂解法制得的碳纳米管均以团聚体形式存在，本文利用电子显微镜观察了两种碳纳米管团聚体的团聚结构，分散形态及微观结构，研究表明，纳米聚团床催化裂解法制备的碳纳米管具有多级团聚结构，范德华力及缠绕作用共同造成了多级团聚体的形成，细长的碳纳米管分散困难，易絮凝；短小弯曲的碳纳米管易于分散。     

Transmission Electron Microscopy and UV–vis–IR Spectroscopy Analysis of the Diameter Sorting of Carbon Nanotubes by Gradient Density Ultracentrifugation

Diameter separation of single‐walled carbon nanotubes is achieved via the density gradient ultracentrifugation process. Statistical analysis of the separated samples is performed using high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The evolution of the diameter distribution with respect to the gradient density is extracted by analyzing hundreds of HRTEM images, and the results are found to be consistent with those estimated by UV–vis–IR spectroscopy. The efficiency of the separation process can be quantitatively characterized by the standard deviation of the diameter distribution, which is determined from the TEM analyses. This particular study indicated that for electric arc nanotubes dispersed in sodium cholate, diameter sorting is more efficient in the upper part of the gradient.     

用FeCl3作催化剂先体制备碳纳米结构

以不同浓度的FeCl3溶液作为催化剂先体，利用乙醇催化燃烧法，在铜片上生长出了碳纳米管和碳纳米纤维。讨论了不同浓度的FeCl3催化剂先体对生长碳纳米材料产物和形貌的影响。利用扫描电镜，透射电镜和喇曼光谱对样品的形貌和结构进行了表征。实验结果表明，随着催化剂先体浓度增大，碳纳米材料产量增大，直径呈现增大趋势，其直径范围也逐渐变大。当催化剂先体浓度为0.01mol/L时，可以制备出直径较小的碳纳米管；当催化剂先体浓度为0.1mol/L时，可以制备出直径分布均匀的碳纳米管与碳纳米纤维的混合物；当催化剂先体浓度为1mol/L时，可以制备出直径分布不均匀的碳纳米纤维。     

Flexible,Stretchable, Transparent Conducting Films Made from Superaligned Carbon Nanotubes

A straightforward roll‐to‐roll process for fabricating flexible and stretchable superaligned carbon nanotube films as transparent conducting films is demonstrated. Practical touch panels assembled by using these carbon nanotube conducting films are superior in flexibility and wearability—and comparable in linearity—to touch panels based on indium tin oxide (ITO) films. After suitable laser trimming and deposition of Ni and Au metal, the carbon nanotube film possesses excellent performance with two typical values of sheet resistances and transmittances (208 Ω □^?1, 90% and 24 Ω □^?1, 83.4%), which are comparable to ITO films and better than the present carbon nanotube conducting films in literature. The results provide a route to produce transparent conducting films more easily, effectively, and cheaply, an important step for realizing industrial‐scale applications of carbon nanotubes for transparent conducting films.     

Self‐Alignment of Patterned Wafers Using Capillary Forces at a Water–Air Interface

Capillary interactions at a water–air interface were used to align a two‐inch glass wafer to a three‐inch silicon wafer. Flat, smooth silica surfaces were patterned with gold millimeter‐scale borders enclosing micrometer‐scale features. The gold features were rendered hydrophobic through the use of self‐assembled monolayers, the silica was wetted with water, and the wafers were pressed together. The assembly snapped into alignment based upon the minimization of the curvature of the meniscus formed at the water–air interface. The accuracy of this alignment was better than one micrometer. Gravitational energy was used to systematically study the alignment force as a function of pattern parameters. These data can be modeled by interfacial energy theory. These experiments identify a clear set of conditions necessary for the use of this technique for high‐precision alignment.     

Selective Electrochemical Etching of Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are a promising material for future nanotechnology. However, their applications are still limited in success because of the co‐existence of metallic SWNTs and semiconducting SWNTs produced samples. Here, electrochemical etching, which shows both diameter and electrical selectivity, is demonstrated to remove SWNTs. With the aid of a back‐gate electric field, selective removal of metallic SWNTs is realized, resulting in high‐performance SWNT field‐effect transistors with pure semiconducting SWNT channels. Moreover, electrochemical etching is realized on a selective area. These findings would be valuable for research and the application of SWNTs in electrochemistry and in electronic devices.     

The Role of Sulfur in the Synthesis of Novel Carbon Morphologies: From Covalent Y‐Junctions to Sea‐Urchin‐Like Structures

A detailed characterization, using high resolution electron microscopy/microanalysis (SEM, TEM, HRTEM, and EDX), reveals tubular carbon nanostructures exhibiting complex and fascinating morphologies. The materials were obtained by sulfur‐assisted chemical vapor deposition. It is demonstrated that S not only acts on the catalyst, but also can be detected in the carbon lattice of the nanostructures. The experimental data presented here confirms the critical role of S, which is responsible for inducing curvature and therefore influencing the final carbon nanostructure morphology. In particular, different types of covalent Y‐junctions of CNTs and even sea urchin‐like nanostructures were produced and their experimental conditions are listed and discussed.