Molecular self-assembly of "nanowires"and "nanospools" using active transport

Mastering supramolecular self-assembly to a similar degree as nature has achieved on a subcellular scale is critical for the efficient fabrication of complex nanoscopic and mesoscopic structures. We demonstrate that active, molecular-scale transport powered by biomolecular motors can be utilized to drive the self-assembly of mesoscopic structures that would not form in the absence of active transport. In the presented example, functionalized microtubules transported by surface-immobilized kinesin motors cross-link via biotin/streptavidin bonds and form extended linear and circular mesoscopic structures, which move in the presence of ATP. The self-assembled structures are oriented, exhibit large internal strains, and are metastable while the biomolecular motors are active. The integration of molecular motors into the self-assembly process overcomes the trade-off between stability and complexity in thermally activated molecular self-assembly.     

Nanoscale shuffling in a template-assisted self-assembly of binary colloidal particles

We have fabricated a square lattice array of sub-micrometer fluorescent (red and green) polystyrene particles. The particles were each embedded into small pits fabricated on a silicon substrate by electron beam lithography, through the drying process of an aqueous suspension containing equal amounts of the two species. We indexed 0 and 1 for each red and green particle, respectively, and then obtained a one-dimensional bit sequence by the successive reading of the indices in a predetermined manner. We evaluated the randomness of the bit sequence by using the improved FIPS 140-2 statistical test suite. Consequently, we found that the bit sequences do not have any non-randomness. The particle array was obtained by a very simple process, i.e., the drying of a suspension, but the particle distribution pattern was definitely unpredictable and irreproducible, and the number of possible patterns was tremendously large. The signal--i.e., the color of the particle--does not deteriorate within a practical timescale under various conditions, such as in an electric field, in a magnetic field, in air or water, on a solid matrix, and so on, which means that a small tip with the particle pattern can be installed in miscellaneous object, including electronic products, plastic credit cards, currency bills, and so on. Therefore, this particle array is applicable to a nanoscale identification tag or a one-time pad encryption tip.     

Formation of electrically conducting mesoscale wires through self-assembly of atomic clusters

Bi and Sb clusters deposited from an inert gas aggregation source have been used to form cluster-assembled wires on unpassivated, and SiO/sub 2/ passivated, V-grooved Si substrates. V-grooves (4-7 /spl mu/m in width, 6 /spl mu/m-1 mm in length) were prepared using optical lithography and anisotropic etching in KOH solution. The effectiveness of the surface templating technique was demonstrated by scanning electron microscope analysis carried out after deposition. When Sb clusters were deposited onto SiO/sub 2/ passivated substrates, the surface coverage was seen to vary from <20% on the unpatterned (normal-to-beam) surface (which is required to be nonconducting) to >100% at the apexes of the V-grooves used to promote growth of the wire. Sb wires produced with this technique currently have minimum widths of /spl sim/400 nm and lengths of /spl sim/1 mm. Electrical contacts can be positioned within the V-grooves prior to cluster deposition, thus enabling the initial onset of conduction and subsequent I(V) characteristic of a wire to be monitored in vacuum.     

Simulations and analysis of self-assembly of CdTe nanoparticles into wires and sheets

Recent experiments have reported the self-assembly of TGA- and DMAET-stabilized CdTe nanoparticles (NPs) into wires and sheets, respectively, depending upon the stabilizer used. We develop a mesoscale model based on quantum mechanical calculations and perform Monte Carlo simulations of these NPs to elucidate the conditions under which these two structures will form. We show that consideration of NP shape, directional attraction, and electrostatic interactions is key to determining the anisotropy of the NP-NP interaction and final self-assembled structures.     

Nanoscale fluid transport: size and rate effects

The transport behavior of water molecules inside a model carbon nanotube is investigated by using nonequilibrium molecular dynamcis (NMED) simulations. The shearing stress between the nanotube wall and the water molecules is identified as a key factor in determining the nanofluidic properties. Due to the effect of nanoscale confinement, the effective shearing stress is not only size sensitive but also strongly dependent on the fluid flow rate. Consequently, the nominal viscosity of the confined water decreases rapidly as the tube radius is reduced or when a faster flow rate is maintained. An infiltration experiment on a nanoporous carbon is performed to qualitatively validate these findings.     

Novel many-body transport phenomenon in coupled quantum wires

We demonstrate the presence of a resonant interaction between a pair of coupled quantum wires, which are formed in the ultrahigh mobility two-dimensional electron gas of a GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well. The coupled-wire system is realized by an extension of the split-gate technique, in which bias voltages are applied to Schottky gates on the semiconductor surface, to vary the width of the two quantum wires, as well as the strength of the coupling between them. The key observation of interest here is one in which the gate voltages used to define one of the wires are first fixed, after which the conductance of this wire is measured as the gate voltage used to form the other wire is swept. Over the range of gate voltage where the swept wire pinches off, we observe a resonant peak in the conductance of the fixed wire that is correlated precisely to this pinchoff condition. In this paper, we present new results on the current- and temperature-dependence of this conductance resonance, which we suggest is related to the formation of a local moment in the swept wire as its conductance is reduced below 2e/sup 2//h.     

Correlating electronic transport to atomic structures in self-assembled quantum wires

Quantum wires, as a smallest electronic conductor, are expected to be a fundamental component in all quantum architectures. The electronic conductance in quantum wires, however, is often dictated by structural instabilities and electron localization at the atomic scale. Here we report on the evolutions of electronic transport as a function of temperature and interwire coupling as the quantum wires of GdSi(2) are self-assembled on Si(100) wire-by-wire. The correlation between structure, electronic properties, and electronic transport are examined by combining nanotransport measurements, scanning tunneling microscopy, and density functional theory calculations. A metal-insulator transition is revealed in isolated nanowires, while a robust metallic state is obtained in wire bundles at low temperature. The atomic defects lead to electron localizations in isolated nanowire, and interwire coupling stabilizes the structure and promotes the metallic states in wire bundles. This illustrates how the conductance nature of a one-dimensional system can be dramatically modified by the environmental change on the atomic scale.     

Numerical simulation of coherent transport in quantum wires for quantum computing

A solid-state implementation of a universal set of gates for quantum computation is proposed and analysed using a time-dependent 2D Schrödinger solver. The qubit is defined as the state of an electron propagating along a couple of quantum wires. The wires are suitably coupled through a potential barrier with variable height and/or width. It is shown how a proper design of the system allows the implementation of any one-qubit transformation. The two-qubit gate is realized through a Coulomb coupler able to entangle the quantum states of two electrons running in two wires of two different qubits. The simulated devices are GaAs—AlGaAs heterostructures that should be on the borderline of present semiconductor technology. An estimate of decoherence effects due to phonon scattering is also presented.     

Development and characterization of active nanocomposites with embedded shape memory alloy wires

Active nanocomposites of epoxy resin containing bentonite clay and shape memory alloy (SMA) were made to evaluate the thermomechanical behavior in the range of phase transformation of shape memory alloy during heating. The epoxy resin system studied was prepared using bifunctional diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), crosslinking agent diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS), purified bentonite organoclay (APOC) and thin Ni‐Ti shape memory alloy wires. The evaluated ratio DGEBA/DDS was 100:40, for the epoxy resin/clay system was 100:1 and the shape memory alloy volumetric fraction of Ni‐Ti wires were 1.55%; 2.56%; 3.57% and 4.54%. The formation of nanocomposite was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction analysis. Phase transformation of the shape memory alloy wires were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Specimens of the active nanocomposites were characterized mainly by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). According to the DMA results was evidenced a significant increase in glass transition temperature and storage modulus when 1 parts per hundred resin of clay is added to epoxy resin. A recover of storage modulus was observed in the active nanocomposite during heating in the range of the phase transformation of Ni‐Ti shape memory alloy wires when the volumetric fraction is above 3.5%.     

Quasi-ohmic single molecule charge transport through highly conjugated meso-to-meso ethyne-bridged porphyrin wires

Understanding and controlling electron transport through functional molecules are of primary importance to the development of molecular scale devices. In this work, the single molecule resistances of meso-to-meso ethyne-bridged (porphinato)zinc(II) structures (PZn(n) compounds), connected to gold electrodes via (4'-thiophenyl)ethynyl termini, are determined using scanning tunneling microscopy-based break junction methods. These experiments show that each α,ω-di[(4'-thiophenyl)ethynyl]-terminated PZn(n) compound (dithiol-PZn(n)) manifests a dual molecular conductance. In both the high and low conductance regimes, the measured resistance across these metal-dithiol-PZn(n)-metal junctions increases in a near linear fashion with molecule length. These results signal that meso-to-meso ethyne-bridged porphyrin wires afford the lowest β value (β = 0.034 ?(-1)) yet determined for thiol-terminated single molecules that manifest a quasi-ohmic resistance dependence across metal-dithiol-PZn(n)-metal junctions.     

The effect of transport current and saturation on the losses of multifilamentary superconducting wires

A slab model is used to investigate the effects of saturation of the superconducing filaments on the losses of multifilamentary superconductors exposed to a uniformly changing field. It is necessary to consider not only the saturated region (where J = J_c), and the superconducting region, but also the region in which current is transferred to the copper. The volume of this region can be about double that of the saturated region. The losses are in qualitative agreement with previous models for round wires, but it is shown that these models do not use the correct current distributions. Some analytic features of the correct solution are derived but a complete solution requires numerical computation.     

Nanoscale gold intercalated into mesoporous silica as a highly active and robust catalyst

Stable gold/mesoporous silica nanocomposites (with Au nanoparticles intercalated in the walls of mesoporous silica) were successfully synthesized by the hydrothermal method and applied as catalysts. A challenging issue associated with intercalation and the use of coordinating agents is the effect of the coordinating agent on the mesoporous silica structure and periodicity. This investigation is targeted at elaborating the effect of the coordinating agent on the resulting mesoporous structure. The amount of Au coordinating agent bis[3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl]-tetrasulfide (TESPTS) was systematically altered to synthesize a range of materials with varying Au loadings and morphologies. These materials were characterized by N(2) adsorption-desorption, x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and UV-visible spectroscopy. The structures of the catalysts were found to range from mesoporous to vesical- and foam-like upon varying the TESPTS/polymer template (P123) ratio. Additionally, the sizes of Au nanoparticles increased by increasing the amount of TESPTS. The catalytic properties of the resulting materials were examined using oxidation of benzyl alcohol and reduction of 4-nitrophenol as probe reactions. The intercalated systems demonstrated high activity and more importantly were robust and readily reusable. This approach to imparting stability to nanoscale materials may be much more broadly applicable and expand the types of environments in which they can be utilized.     

The active buckling control of laminated composite beams with embedded shape memory alloy wires

In this paper, the results of an experimental analysis on the active buckling control behaviour of a laminated composite beam with embedded shape memory alloy (SMA) wires are presented. For the purpose of enhancing the critical buckling load, active buckling control was investigated through the use of the reaction time associated with the shape recovery force of SMA wires. An increased critical buckling load and altered deflection shape due to the effects of activation of embedded SMA wires are represented qualitatively and quantitatively on the load–deflection behaviour records. The results obtained from this active buckling control test confirm that the buckling resistance in a composite beam with embedded SMA wires can be increased by the use of an activation force of the embedded SMA wires. Based on our experimental analysis, a new formula for the behaviour control of active buckling in a laminated composite beam with embedded SMA wires is also suggested.     

Nanoscale investigation of charge transport at the grain boundaries and wrinkles in graphene film

The influence of grain boundaries and mechanical deformations in graphene film on the electric charge transport is investigated at nanoscale with conductive atomic force microscopy. Large area monolayer graphene samples were prepared by the chemical vapor deposition technique. Field emission scanning electron microscopy confirmed the formation of grain boundaries and the presence of wrinkles. The presence of the D-band in the Raman spectrum also indicated the existence of sharp defects such as grain boundaries. Extremely low conductivity was found at the grain boundaries and the wrinkled surface was also more resistive in comparison to the plain graphene surface. Many samples were experimented with to justify our findings by selecting different areas on the graphene surface. Uniform conductivity was found on grain boundary and wrinkle free graphene surfaces. We made channels of varied lengths by local anodic oxidation to confine the charge carrier to the smallest dimensions to better confirm the alteration in current due to grain boundaries and wrinkles. The experimental findings are discussed with reference to the implementation of graphene as transparent conductive electrode.     

Thiocyanate-capped PbS nanocubes: ambipolar transport enables quantum dot based circuits on a flexible substrate

We report the use of thiocyanate as a ligand for lead sulfide (PbS) nanocubes for high-performance, thin-film electronics. PbS nanocubes, self-assembled into thin films and capped with the thiocyanate, exhibit ambipolar characteristics in field-effect transistors. The nearly balanced, high mobilities for electrons and holes enable the fabrication of CMOS-like inverters with promising gains of ～22 from a single semiconductor material. The mild chemical treatment and low-temperature processing conditions are compatible with plastic substrates, allowing the realization of flexible, nonsintered quantum dot circuits.     

Synchronized routing of active and passive means of transport

This paper addresses a routing problem where the fulfillment of transport requests requires two types of transport resources, namely, passive and active means of transport. The passive means are used for holding the cargo that is to be shipped from pickup to delivery locations. The active means take up the passive means and carry them from one location to another. Compared to classical vehicle routing problems, the additional challenge in this combined routing problem is that the operations of both transport resources have to be synchronized. In this paper, we provide a modeling approach for the joint routing of passive and active means of transport. We solve the problem by large neighborhood search meta-heuristics that utilize various problem-specific components, for example local search techniques for the routes of active and passive means. A computational study on a large set of benchmark instances is used for assessing the performance of the meta-heuristics.     

Application of active film packaging to transport live fish

Cylindrical bags made of inorganic-filled PE film (active film) (AF) containing fresh water were applied to storage of living carp. The tops of the bags were usually kept closed, with the exception of the moment for determining the content of dissolved oxygen (DO). For comparison, a cylindrical glass jar and other cylindrical bags made of plain PE film were used for the same test. The results show that the mean life of carp in the AF bag was more than 64h, whereas those in the glass jar and the plain PE film bags were 25 and 26h, respectively. The content of DO in the different types of container with living carp was measured. It indicated that the content of DO in the AF bags was more than that in the others. Thus, it is significant that it can be used to store and transport aquatic plant and animal or other organisms in a closed container.     

Dispersion in active transport by kinesin-powered molecular shuttles

Active transport driven by molecular motors is a key technology for the continued miniaturization of lab-on-a-chip devices, because it is expected to enable nanofluidic devices with channel diameters of less than 1 microm and total channel lengths on the order of 1 mm. An important metric for a transport mechanism employed in an analytic device is dispersion, because it critically affects the sensitivity and resolution. Here, we investigate the mechanisms responsible for the dispersion of a swarm of "molecular shuttles", consisting of functionalized microtubules propelled by surface-adhered kinesin motor proteins. Using a simple model and measurements of the path persistence length, motional diffusion coefficient, and the distribution of average velocities, we found that, at the time scale relevant in the envisioned nanobiodevices, variations in the time-averaged velocities between shuttles will make a stronger contribution to the dispersion of the swarm than both the fluctuations around the time-averaged velocity of an individual shuttle and the fluctuations in path length due to wiggling within the channel. Overall, the dispersion of such molecular shuttles is comparable to the dispersion of a sample plug transported by electroosmotic flow.     

A low-frequency wave motion mechanism enables efficient energy transport in carbon nanotubes at high heat fluxes

The great majority of investigations of thermal transport in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in the open literature focus on low heat fluxes, that is, in the regime of validity of the Fourier heat conduction law. In this paper, by performing nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations we investigated thermal transport in a single-walled CNT bridging two Si slabs under constant high heat flux. An anomalous wave-like kinetic energy profile was observed, and a previously unexplored, wave-dominated energy transport mechanism is identified for high heat fluxes in CNTs, originated from excited low frequency transverse acoustic waves. The transported energy, in terms of a one-dimensional low frequency mechanical wave, is quantified as a function of the total heat flux applied and is compared to the energy transported by traditional Fourier heat conduction. The results show that the low frequency wave actually overtakes traditional Fourier heat conduction and efficiently transports the energy at high heat flux. Our findings reveal an important new mechanism for high heat flux energy transport in low-dimensional nanostructures, such as one-dimensional (1-D) nanotubes and nanowires, which could be very relevant to high heat flux dissipation such as in micro/nanoelectronics applications.