Directed Self‐Assembly of Gradient Concentric Carbon Nanotube Rings |
| |
Authors: | Suck Won Hong Wonje Jeong Hyunhyub Ko Michael R Kessler Vladimir V Tsukruk Zhiqun Lin |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (USA);2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA 30332 (USA) |
| |
Abstract: | Hundreds of gradient concentric rings of linear conjugated polymer, (poly2‐methoxy‐5‐(2‐ethylhexyloxy)‐1,4‐ phenylenevinylene], i.e., MEH‐PPV) with remarkable regularity over large areas were produced by controlled “stick‐slip” motions of the contact line in a confined geometry consisting of a sphere on a flat substrate (i.e., sphere‐on‐flat geometry). Subsequently, MEH‐PPV rings were exploited as a template to direct the formation of gradient concentric rings of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with controlled density. This method is simple, cost effective, and robust, combining two consecutive self‐assembly processes, namely, evaporation‐induced self‐assembly of polymers in a sphere‐on‐flat geometry, followed by subsequent directed self‐assembly of MWNTs on the polymer‐templated surfaces. |
| |
Keywords: | assembly carbon nanotubes conjugated polymers surface patterning |
|
|