Packaging of MEMS/MOEMS and nanodevices: reliability, testing, and characterization aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tekin, Tolga; Ngo, Ha-Duong; Wittler, Olaf; Bouhlal, Bouchaib; Lang, Klaus-Dieter

2011-02-01

The last decade witnessed an explosive growth in research and development efforts devoted to MEMS devices and packaging. The successfully developed MEMS devices are, for example inkjet, pressure sensors, silicon microphones, accelerometers, gyroscopes, MOEMS, micro fuel cells and emerging MEMS. For the next decade, MEMS/MOEMS and nanodevice based products will penetrate into IT, telecommunications, automotive, defense, life sciences, medical and implantable applications. Forecasts say the MEMS market to be $14 billion by 2012. The packaging cost of MEMS/MOEMS products in general is about 70 percent. Unlike today's electronics IC packaging, their packaging are custom-built and difficult due to the moving structural elements. In order for the moving elements of a MEMS device to move effectively in a well-controlled atmosphere, hermetic sealing of the MEMS device in a cap is necessary. For some MEMS devices, such as resonators and gyroscopes, vacuum packaging is required. Usually, the cap is processed at the wafer level, and thus MEMS packaging is truly a wafer level packaging. In terms of MEMS/MOEMS and nanodevice packaging, there are still many critical issues need to be addressed due to the increasing integration density supported by 3D heterogeneous integration of multi-physic components/layers consisting of photonics, electronics, rf, plasmonics, and wireless. The infrastructure of MEMS/MOEMS and nanodevices and their packaging is not well established yet. Generic packaging platform technologies are not available. Some of critical issues have been studied intensively in the last years. In this paper we will discuss about processes, reliability, testing and characterization of MEMS/MOEMS and nanodevice packaging.

Sandia National Laboratories: Exceptional Service in the National Interest

Science.gov Websites

Electromagnetics Engineering Science Geoscience Materials Science Nanodevices & Microsystems Radiation Effects Electromagnetics Engineering Science Geoscience Materials Science Nanodevices & Microsystems Radiation Effects Geoscience Materials Science Nanodevices & Microsystems Radiation Effects & High Energy Density

Precision shape modification of nanodevices with a low-energy electron beam

DOEpatents

Zettl, Alex; Yuzvinsky, Thomas David; Fennimore, Adam

2010-03-09

Methods of shape modifying a nanodevice by contacting it with a low-energy focused electron beam are disclosed here. In one embodiment, a nanodevice may be permanently reformed to a different geometry through an application of a deforming force and a low-energy focused electron beam. With the addition of an assist gas, material may be removed from the nanodevice through application of the low-energy focused electron beam. The independent methods of shape modification and material removal may be used either individually or simultaneously. Precision cuts with accuracies as high as 10 nm may be achieved through the use of precision low-energy Scanning Electron Microscope scan beams. These methods may be used in an automated system to produce nanodevices of very precise dimensions. These methods may be used to produce nanodevices of carbon-based, silicon-based, or other compositions by varying the assist gas.

Aptamer-Binding Directed DNA Origami Pattern for Logic Gates.

PubMed

Yang, Jing; Jiang, Shuoxing; Liu, Xiangrong; Pan, Linqiang; Zhang, Cheng

2016-12-14

In this study, an aptamer-substrate strategy is introduced to control programmable DNA origami pattern. Combined with DNA aptamer-substrate binding and DNAzyme-cutting, small DNA tiles were specifically controlled to fill into the predesigned DNA origami frame. Here, a set of DNA logic gates (OR, YES, and AND) are performed in response to the stimuli of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and cocaine. The experimental results are confirmed by AFM imaging and time-dependent fluorescence changes, demonstrating that the geometric patterns are regulated in a controllable and programmable manner. Our approach provides a new platform for engineering programmable origami nanopatterns and constructing complex DNA nanodevices.

Sandia National Laboratories: Research: Research Foundations

Science.gov Websites

Materials Science Nanodevices & Microsystems Radiation Effects & High Energy Density Science Science Geoscience Materials Science Nanodevices and Microsystems Radiation Effects and High Energy Nanodevices and Microsystems Radiation Effects and High Energy Density Science Exceptional service in the

Nanodevices based on silicon nanowires.

PubMed

Wan, Yuting; Sha, Jian; Chen, Bo; Fang, Yanjun; Wang, Zongli; Wang, Yewu

2009-01-01

Silicon nanowires (SiNWs) have been demonstrated as one of the promising building blocks for future nanodevices such as field effect transistors, solar cells, sensors and lithium battery; much progress has been made in this field during last decades. In this review paper, the synthesis and physical properties of SiNWs are introduced briefly. Significant advances of SiNWs-related nanodevices reported in recent literature and registered patents are reviewed. The latest development and prospects of SiNWs-related nanodevices are also discussed.

Compact universal logic gates realized using quantization of current in nanodevices.

PubMed

Zhang, Wancheng; Wu, Nan-Jian; Yang, Fuhua

2007-12-12

This paper proposes novel universal logic gates using the current quantization characteristics of nanodevices. In nanodevices like the electron waveguide (EW) and single-electron (SE) turnstile, the channel current is a staircase quantized function of its control voltage. We use this unique characteristic to compactly realize Boolean functions. First we present the concept of the periodic-threshold threshold logic gate (PTTG), and we build a compact PTTG using EW and SE turnstiles. We show that an arbitrary three-input Boolean function can be realized with a single PTTG, and an arbitrary four-input Boolean function can be realized by using two PTTGs. We then use one PTTG to build a universal programmable two-input logic gate which can be used to realize all two-input Boolean functions. We also build a programmable three-input logic gate by using one PTTG. Compared with linear threshold logic gates, with the PTTG one can build digital circuits more compactly. The proposed PTTGs are promising for future smart nanoscale digital system use.

Nanotechnology: an evidence-based analysis.

PubMed

2006-01-01

Due to continuing advances in the development of structures, devices, and systems with a length of about 1 to 100 nanometres (nm) (1 nm is one billionth of a metre), the Medical Advisory Secretariat conducted a horizon scanning appraisal of nanotechnologies as new and emerging technologies, including an assessment of the possibly disruptive impact of future nanotechnologies. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United States proclaimed a 2015 challenge goal of eliminating suffering and death from cancer. To help meet this goal, the NCI is engaged in a concerted effort to introduce nanotechnology "to radically change the way we diagnose, treat and prevent cancer." It is the NCI's position that "melding nanotechnology and cancer research and development efforts will have a profound, disruptive effect on how we diagnose, treat, and prevent cancer." Thus, this appraisal sought to determine the systemic effects of nanotechnologies that target, image and deliver drugs, for example, with respect to health human resources, training, and new specialties; and to assess the current status of these nanotechnologies and their projected timeline to clinical utilization. TARGET POPULATION AND CONDITION Cancer is a heterogeneous set of many malignant diseases. In each sex, 3 sites account for over one-half of all cancers. In women, these are the breast (28%), colorectum (13%) and lungs (12%). In men, these are the prostate (28%), lungs (15%), and the colorectum (13%). It is estimated that 246,000 people in Ontario (2% of the population) have been diagnosed with cancer within the past 10 years and are still alive. Most were diagnosed with cancer of the breast (21%), prostate (20%), or colon or rectum (13%). The number of new cancer cases diagnosed each year in Ontario is expected to increase from about 53,000 in 2001 to 80,000 in 2015. This represents more than a 50% increase in new cases over this period. An aging population, population growth, and rising cancer risk are thought to be the main factors that will contribute to the projected increase in the number of new cases. THE TECHNOLOGY BEING REVIEWED - MEDICAL ADVISORY SECRETARIAT DEFINITION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY: FIRST-GENERATION NANOTECHNOLOGIES: Early application of nanotechnology-enabled products involved drug reformulation to deliver some otherwise toxic drugs (e.g., antifungal and anticancer agents) in a safer and more effective manner. Examples of first-generation nanodevices include the following: liposomes;albumin bound nanoparticles;gadolinium chelate for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);iron oxide particles for MRI;silver nanoparticles (antibacterial wound dressing); andnanoparticulate dental restoratives.First-generation nanodevices have been in use for several years; therefore, they are not the focus of this report. SECOND-GENERATION NANOTECHNOLOGIES: Second-generation nanotechnologies are more sophisticated than first- generation nanotechnologies, due to novel molecular engineering that enables the devices to target, image, deliver a therapeutic agent, and monitor therapeutic efficacy in real time. Details and examples of second-generation nanodevices are discussed in the following sections of this report. The questions asked were as follows: What is the status of these multifunctional nanotechnologies? That is, what is the projected timeline to clinical utilization?What are the systemic effects of multifunctional nanodevices with integrated applications that target, image, and deliver drugs? That is, what are the implications of the emergence of nanotechnology on health human resources training, new specialties, etc.?The Medical Advisory Secretariat used its usual search techniques to conduct the literature review by searching relevant databases. Outcomes of interest were improved imaging, improved sensitivity or specificity, improved response rates to therapeutic agents, and decreased toxicity. The search yielded 1 health technology assessment on nanotechnology by The Centre for Technology Assessment TA-Swiss and, in the grey literature, a technology review by RAND. These, in addition to data from the National Cancer Institute (United States) formed the basis for the conclusions of the review. With respect to the question as to how soon until nanotechnology is used in patient care, overall, the use of second-generation nanodevices, (e.g., quantum dots [QDs]), nanoshells, dendrimers) that can potentially target, image, and deliver drugs; and image cell response to therapy in real time are still in the preclinical benchwork stage. Table 1 summarizes the projected timelines to clinical utilization. Table 1:Summary of Timelines to Clinical Use*Organization/YearSecond-Generation NanodeviceEstimate of When Nanodevice Will be in Clinical UseNCI 2001Imaging/detection (e.g., QDs)Therapeutic (e.g., nanoshell)Combined (e.g., dendrimer)~2006-2016~2006-2016~2016-2020NCI 2004Imaging/detectionTherapeuticCombined~2009-2019~2009-2019~2019-2024RAND 2006Combinedunlikely before 2021Swiss 2003ImagingTherapeuticCombined~2005-2010~2008-2013~ 2010-2013*NCI refers to National Cancer Institute; QD, quantum dot.Medical Advisory Secretariat Estimated Timeline for Ontario Upon synthesizing the estimated timelines from the NCI, the Swiss technology assessment and the RAND reports (Figure 1), it appears that: the clinical use of separate imaging and therapeutic nanodevices is estimated to start occurring around 2010;the clinical use of combined imaging and therapeutic nanodevices is estimated to start occurring around 2020;changes in the way disease is diagnosed, treated and monitored are anticipated; andthe full (and realistic) extent of these changes within the next 10 to 20 years is uncertain.Figure 1:Medical Advisory Secretariat Estimated Timeline for the Clinical Use of Second-Generation Nanodevices in OntarioWith respect to the question on potential systemic effects of second-generation nanodevices (i.e., the implications of the emergence of these nanodevices on health human resources training, new specialties etc.), Table 2 summarizes the findings from the review. Table 2:Potential Systemic Effects Caused by Second Generation Nanodevices*ImagingTherapeuticCombined (Detect, Image, Treat, Monitor)Increased sensitivity and specificity of QDs or other nanodevices could lead to the replacement of existing technologies (e.g., PSA testing, mammogram).Sudden demand in use of MRI due to use of nanodevices that are activated in the presence of a magnetic field.Universal demand to detect cancer- how will patients be prioritized for this?Sudden demand in use of MRI due to use of nanodevices that are activated in the presence of a magnetic field.Cost: possibly more expensive than current screening modalities.Possibly more expensive than existing therapies (gold nanoshells)Many functions can be performed on one device → possibly faster, more cost-effective than individual devices.Report of results: possibly faster than existing technologies.Possibly faster determination of therapeutic efficacy (vs. existing technologies)Increase in life expectancy of population? Free-up beds in hospitals?Nanodevices may be able to pinpoint with more accuracy when cancer starts.Ethical question: when does disease start?Increased demand for imaging by people who are asymptomatic and concerned they may get cancer.Nano-radiologist or medical nano-oncologist provides treatment rather than conventional radiologists or medical oncologists.Creation of nano-nursing compared to conventional nursing.Nano-radiologist or medical nano-oncologist provides treatment, rather than conventional radiologists or medical oncologists.Creation of nano-nursing compared to conventional nursing.Uncertainty regarding how many "traditional" cancer radiologists/oncologists should be retained and trained.New branch of (nano) radiology compared to conventional radiology New/longer training in biochemistry and targeting ligands will be required by nanoradiologists.More training required for new nano-treatments Patient education - people may be concerned regarding the use of nanodevices inside their bodies.Longer time to specialize in medicine in order to use nanotechnology clinically?Insufficient number of dendrimer specialists to treat everyone with personalized dendrimersRestricted to specialized centres Possible in-house nanodevice production required to keep up with the demand for use.Will the same specialized centres that offer imaging also offer treatment?How many specialized centres will be required?Only specialized centres can perform this combined imaging/treatmentPossible nano-monitoring from patient home via wireless technology. This may free hospital beds for other patients.After imaging with nanodevices, specifically targeted therapeutic nanodevices may also be required for immediate treatment of the patient. Will both of these nanodevices be commercially available in sufficient quantities?Possible waiting time for preparation of appropriately targeted nanodevice after imaging (will a therapeutic nanodevice be immediately available?)Will a patient receive conventional treatment if there is a waiting period required to prepare the therapeutic nanodevice?Will there be a patient waiting time required for preparation of personalized dendrimers (hours, days, weeks after a patient sees a physician)?*MRI indicates magnetic resonance imaging; PSA, prostate-specific antigen; QD, quantum dot. The United States National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) funds a variety of research in the economic, ethical, legal, and cultural implications of the use of nanotechnology, as well as the implications for science, education and quality of life. There are many uncertainties that are sparsely or not addressed at all in the literature regarding second generation nanodevices. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

A Machine Learning Approach to Identify Clinical Trials Involving Nanodrugs and Nanodevices from ClinicalTrials.gov

PubMed Central

de la Iglesia, Diana; García-Remesal, Miguel; Anguita, Alberto; Muñoz-Mármol, Miguel; Kulikowski, Casimir; Maojo, Víctor

2014-01-01

Background Clinical Trials (CTs) are essential for bridging the gap between experimental research on new drugs and their clinical application. Just like CTs for traditional drugs and biologics have helped accelerate the translation of biomedical findings into medical practice, CTs for nanodrugs and nanodevices could advance novel nanomaterials as agents for diagnosis and therapy. Although there is publicly available information about nanomedicine-related CTs, the online archiving of this information is carried out without adhering to criteria that discriminate between studies involving nanomaterials or nanotechnology-based processes (nano), and CTs that do not involve nanotechnology (non-nano). Finding out whether nanodrugs and nanodevices were involved in a study from CT summaries alone is a challenging task. At the time of writing, CTs archived in the well-known online registry ClinicalTrials.gov are not easily told apart as to whether they are nano or non-nano CTs—even when performed by domain experts, due to the lack of both a common definition for nanotechnology and of standards for reporting nanomedical experiments and results. Methods We propose a supervised learning approach for classifying CT summaries from ClinicalTrials.gov according to whether they fall into the nano or the non-nano categories. Our method involves several stages: i) extraction and manual annotation of CTs as nano vs. non-nano, ii) pre-processing and automatic classification, and iii) performance evaluation using several state-of-the-art classifiers under different transformations of the original dataset. Results and Conclusions The performance of the best automated classifier closely matches that of experts (AUC over 0.95), suggesting that it is feasible to automatically detect the presence of nanotechnology products in CT summaries with a high degree of accuracy. This can significantly speed up the process of finding whether reports on ClinicalTrials.gov might be relevant to a particular nanoparticle or nanodevice, which is essential to discover any precedents for nanotoxicity events or advantages for targeted drug therapy. PMID:25347075

A machine learning approach to identify clinical trials involving nanodrugs and nanodevices from ClinicalTrials.gov.

PubMed

de la Iglesia, Diana; García-Remesal, Miguel; Anguita, Alberto; Muñoz-Mármol, Miguel; Kulikowski, Casimir; Maojo, Víctor

2014-01-01

Clinical Trials (CTs) are essential for bridging the gap between experimental research on new drugs and their clinical application. Just like CTs for traditional drugs and biologics have helped accelerate the translation of biomedical findings into medical practice, CTs for nanodrugs and nanodevices could advance novel nanomaterials as agents for diagnosis and therapy. Although there is publicly available information about nanomedicine-related CTs, the online archiving of this information is carried out without adhering to criteria that discriminate between studies involving nanomaterials or nanotechnology-based processes (nano), and CTs that do not involve nanotechnology (non-nano). Finding out whether nanodrugs and nanodevices were involved in a study from CT summaries alone is a challenging task. At the time of writing, CTs archived in the well-known online registry ClinicalTrials.gov are not easily told apart as to whether they are nano or non-nano CTs-even when performed by domain experts, due to the lack of both a common definition for nanotechnology and of standards for reporting nanomedical experiments and results. We propose a supervised learning approach for classifying CT summaries from ClinicalTrials.gov according to whether they fall into the nano or the non-nano categories. Our method involves several stages: i) extraction and manual annotation of CTs as nano vs. non-nano, ii) pre-processing and automatic classification, and iii) performance evaluation using several state-of-the-art classifiers under different transformations of the original dataset. The performance of the best automated classifier closely matches that of experts (AUC over 0.95), suggesting that it is feasible to automatically detect the presence of nanotechnology products in CT summaries with a high degree of accuracy. This can significantly speed up the process of finding whether reports on ClinicalTrials.gov might be relevant to a particular nanoparticle or nanodevice, which is essential to discover any precedents for nanotoxicity events or advantages for targeted drug therapy.

Integrated optical silicon IC compatible nanodevices for biosensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lechuga, Laura M.; Sepulveda, Borja; Llobera, Andreu; Calle, Ana; Dominguez, Carlos M.

2003-04-01

Biological and chemical sensing is one of the application fields where integrated optical nanodevices can play an important role [1]. We present a Silicon Integrated Mach-Zehnder Interferometer Nanodevice using a Total Internal Refraction waveguide configuration. The induced changes due to a biomolecular interactions in the effective refractive index of the waveguide,is monitored by the measurement of the change in the properties of the propagating light. For using this device as a biosensor, the waveguides of the structure must verify two conditions: work in the monomode regime and to have a Surface Sensivity as high as possible in the sensing arm. The MZI device structure is: (i) a Si wafer with a 500 mm thickness (ii) a 2 mm thick thermal Silicon-Oxide layer with a refractive index of 1.46 (iii) a LPCVD Silicon Nitride layer of 100 nm thickness and a refractive index of 2.00, which is used as the guiding layer. To achieve monomode behavior is needed to define a rib structure, with a depth of only 3 nm, on the Silicon Nitride layer by a lithographic step. This rib structure is performed by RIE and is the most critical step in the microfabrication of the device. Over the structure a protective layer of LPCVD SiO2 is deposited, with a 2 mm thickness and a refractive index of 1.46, which is patterned (photolithography) and etched (RIE) to define the sensing arm. The high sensivity of these devices makes them quite suitable for biosensing applications. For that, without loosing their activity the receptors biomolecules are covanlently immobilized, at nanometer scale , on the sensor area surface. Biospecific molecular recognition takes places when the complementary analyte to the receptor is flowed over the receptor using a flow system. Several biosensing applications have been performed with this device as enviromental pollutant control, immunosensing or genetic detection.

Nanotechnology in Diagnostics and Therapeutics for Gastrointestinal Disorders

PubMed Central

Laroui, Hamed; Rakhya, Poonam; Xiao, Bo; Viennois, Emilie; Merlin, Didier

2013-01-01

This review describes the state of art in nanoparticle and nanodevice applications for medical diagnosis and disease treatment. Nanodevices, such as cantilevers, have been integrated into high-sensitivity disease marker diagnostic detectors and devices, are stable over long periods of time, and display reliable performance properties. Nanotechnology strategies have been applied to therapeutic purposes as well. For example, nanoparticle-based delivery systems have been developed to protect drugs from degradation, thereby reducing the required dose and dose frequency, improving patient comfort and convenience during treatment, and reducing treatment expenses. The main objectives for integrating nanotechnologies into diagnostic and therapeutic applications in the context of intestinal diseases are reviewed. PMID:23660079

Spintronic Nanodevices for Bioinspired Computing

PubMed Central

Grollier, Julie; Querlioz, Damien; Stiles, Mark D.

2016-01-01

Bioinspired hardware holds the promise of low-energy, intelligent, and highly adaptable computing systems. Applications span from automatic classification for big data management, through unmanned vehicle control, to control for biomedical prosthesis. However, one of the major challenges of fabricating bioinspired hardware is building ultra-high-density networks out of complex processing units interlinked by tunable connections. Nanometer-scale devices exploiting spin electronics (or spintronics) can be a key technology in this context. In particular, magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) are well suited for this purpose because of their multiple tunable functionalities. One such functionality, non-volatile memory, can provide massive embedded memory in unconventional circuits, thus escaping the von-Neumann bottleneck arising when memory and processors are located separately. Other features of spintronic devices that could be beneficial for bioinspired computing include tunable fast nonlinear dynamics, controlled stochasticity, and the ability of single devices to change functions in different operating conditions. Large networks of interacting spintronic nanodevices can have their interactions tuned to induce complex dynamics such as synchronization, chaos, soliton diffusion, phase transitions, criticality, and convergence to multiple metastable states. A number of groups have recently proposed bioinspired architectures that include one or several types of spintronic nanodevices. In this paper, we show how spintronics can be used for bioinspired computing. We review the different approaches that have been proposed, the recent advances in this direction, and the challenges toward fully integrated spintronics complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) bioinspired hardware. PMID:27881881

On the Nature of Energy-Feasible Wireless Nanosensor Networks.

PubMed

Canovas-Carrasco, Sebastian; Garcia-Sanchez, Antonio-Javier; Garcia-Haro, Joan

2018-04-27

Electromagnetic nanocommunications, understood as the communication between electronic nanoscale devices through electromagnetic waves in the terahertz band, has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this regard, several solutions have already been proposed. However, many of them do not sufficiently capture the significance of the limitations in nanodevice energy-gathering and storing capacity. In this paper, we address key factors affecting the energy consumption of nanodevices, highlighting the effect of the communication scheme employed. Then, we also examine how nanodevices are powered, focusing on the main parameters governing the powering nanosystem. Different mathematical expressions are derived to analyze the impact of these parameters on its performance. Based on these expressions, the functionality of a nanogenerator is evaluated to gain insight into the conditions under which a wireless nanosensor network (WNSN) is viable from the energetic point of view. The results reveal that a micrometer-sized piezoelectric system in high-lossy environments (exceeding 100 dB/mm) becomes inoperative for transmission distances over 1.5 mm by its inability to harvest and store the amount of energy required to overcome the path loss.

On the Nature of Energy-Feasible Wireless Nanosensor Networks

PubMed Central

Canovas-Carrasco, Sebastian; Garcia-Sanchez, Antonio-Javier; Garcia-Haro, Joan

2018-01-01

Electromagnetic nanocommunications, understood as the communication between electronic nanoscale devices through electromagnetic waves in the terahertz band, has attracted increasing attention in recent years. In this regard, several solutions have already been proposed. However, many of them do not sufficiently capture the significance of the limitations in nanodevice energy-gathering and storing capacity. In this paper, we address key factors affecting the energy consumption of nanodevices, highlighting the effect of the communication scheme employed. Then, we also examine how nanodevices are powered, focusing on the main parameters governing the powering nanosystem. Different mathematical expressions are derived to analyze the impact of these parameters on its performance. Based on these expressions, the functionality of a nanogenerator is evaluated to gain insight into the conditions under which a wireless nanosensor network (WNSN) is viable from the energetic point of view. The results reveal that a micrometer-sized piezoelectric system in high-lossy environments (exceeding 100 dB/mm) becomes inoperative for transmission distances over 1.5 mm by its inability to harvest and store the amount of energy required to overcome the path loss. PMID:29702581

Highly-Parallel, Highly-Compact Computing Structures Implemented in Nanotechnology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crawley, D. G.; Duff, M. J. B.; Fountain, T. J.; Moffat, C. D.; Tomlinson, C. D.

1995-01-01

In this paper, we describe work in which we are evaluating how the evolving properties of nano-electronic devices could best be utilized in highly parallel computing structures. Because of their combination of high performance, low power, and extreme compactness, such structures would have obvious applications in spaceborne environments, both for general mission control and for on-board data analysis. However, the anticipated properties of nano-devices mean that the optimum architecture for such systems is by no means certain. Candidates include single instruction multiple datastream (SIMD) arrays, neural networks, and multiple instruction multiple datastream (MIMD) assemblies.

Integrating Carbon Nanotubes For Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ye, Qi; Cassell, Alan M.; Liu, Hongbing; Han, Jie; Meyyappan, Meyya

2004-01-01

Carbon nanotube (CNT) related nanostructures possess remarkable electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties. To produce these nanostructures for real world applications, a large-scale controlled growth of carbon nanotubes is crucial for the integration and fabrication of nanodevices and nanosensors. We have taken the approach of integrating nanopatterning and nanomaterials synthesis with traditional silicon micro fabrication techniques. This integration requires a catalyst or nanomaterial protection scheme. In this paper, we report our recent work on fabricating wafer-scale carbon nanotube AFM cantilever probe tips. We will address the design and fabrication considerations in detail, and present the preliminary scanning probe test results. This work may serve as an example of rational design, fabrication, and integration of nanomaterials for advanced nanodevice and nanosensor applications.

Aqueous multiphoton lithography with multifunctional silk-centred bio-resists.

PubMed

Sun, Yun-Lu; Li, Qi; Sun, Si-Ming; Huang, Jing-Chun; Zheng, Bo-Yuan; Chen, Qi-Dai; Shao, Zheng-Zhong; Sun, Hong-Bo

2015-10-16

Silk and silk fibroin, the biomaterial from nature, nowadays are being widely utilized in many cutting-edge micro/nanodevices/systems via advanced micro/nanofabrication techniques. Herein, for the first time to our knowledge, we report aqueous multiphoton lithography of diversiform-regenerated-silk-fibroin-centric inks using noncontact and maskless femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW). Initially, silk fibroin was FsLDW-crosslinked into arbitrary two/three-dimensional micro/nanostructures with good elastic properties merely using proper photosensitizers. More interestingly, silk/metal composite micro/nanodevices with multidimension-controllable metal content can be FsLDW-customized through laser-induced simultaneous fibroin oxidation/crosslinking and metal photoreduction using the simplest silk/Ag(+) or silk/[AuCl4](-) aqueous resists. Noticeably, during FsLDW, fibroin functions as biological reductant and matrix, while metal ions act as the oxidant. A FsLDW-fabricated prototyping silk/Ag microelectrode exhibited 10(4)-Ω(-1 ) m(-1)-scale adjustable electric conductivity. This work not only provides a powerful development to silk micro/nanoprocessing techniques but also creates a novel way to fabricate multifunctional metal/biomacromolecule complex micro/nanodevices for applications such as micro/nanoscale mechanical and electrical bioengineering and biosystems.

Aqueous multiphoton lithography with multifunctional silk-centred bio-resists

PubMed Central

Sun, Yun-Lu; Li, Qi; Sun, Si-Ming; Huang, Jing-Chun; Zheng, Bo-Yuan; Chen, Qi-Dai; Shao, Zheng-Zhong; Sun, Hong-Bo

2015-01-01

Silk and silk fibroin, the biomaterial from nature, nowadays are being widely utilized in many cutting-edge micro/nanodevices/systems via advanced micro/nanofabrication techniques. Herein, for the first time to our knowledge, we report aqueous multiphoton lithography of diversiform-regenerated-silk-fibroin-centric inks using noncontact and maskless femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW). Initially, silk fibroin was FsLDW-crosslinked into arbitrary two/three-dimensional micro/nanostructures with good elastic properties merely using proper photosensitizers. More interestingly, silk/metal composite micro/nanodevices with multidimension-controllable metal content can be FsLDW-customized through laser-induced simultaneous fibroin oxidation/crosslinking and metal photoreduction using the simplest silk/Ag+ or silk/[AuCl4]− aqueous resists. Noticeably, during FsLDW, fibroin functions as biological reductant and matrix, while metal ions act as the oxidant. A FsLDW-fabricated prototyping silk/Ag microelectrode exhibited 104-Ω−1 m−1-scale adjustable electric conductivity. This work not only provides a powerful development to silk micro/nanoprocessing techniques but also creates a novel way to fabricate multifunctional metal/biomacromolecule complex micro/nanodevices for applications such as micro/nanoscale mechanical and electrical bioengineering and biosystems. PMID:26472600

Aqueous multiphoton lithography with multifunctional silk-centred bio-resists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Yun-Lu; Li, Qi; Sun, Si-Ming; Huang, Jing-Chun; Zheng, Bo-Yuan; Chen, Qi-Dai; Shao, Zheng-Zhong; Sun, Hong-Bo

2015-10-01

Silk and silk fibroin, the biomaterial from nature, nowadays are being widely utilized in many cutting-edge micro/nanodevices/systems via advanced micro/nanofabrication techniques. Herein, for the first time to our knowledge, we report aqueous multiphoton lithography of diversiform-regenerated-silk-fibroin-centric inks using noncontact and maskless femtosecond laser direct writing (FsLDW). Initially, silk fibroin was FsLDW-crosslinked into arbitrary two/three-dimensional micro/nanostructures with good elastic properties merely using proper photosensitizers. More interestingly, silk/metal composite micro/nanodevices with multidimension-controllable metal content can be FsLDW-customized through laser-induced simultaneous fibroin oxidation/crosslinking and metal photoreduction using the simplest silk/Ag+ or silk/[AuCl4]- aqueous resists. Noticeably, during FsLDW, fibroin functions as biological reductant and matrix, while metal ions act as the oxidant. A FsLDW-fabricated prototyping silk/Ag microelectrode exhibited 104-Ω-1 m-1-scale adjustable electric conductivity. This work not only provides a powerful development to silk micro/nanoprocessing techniques but also creates a novel way to fabricate multifunctional metal/biomacromolecule complex micro/nanodevices for applications such as micro/nanoscale mechanical and electrical bioengineering and biosystems.

Evaluation of a combination tumor treatment using thermo-triggered liposomal drug delivery and carbon ion irradiation.

PubMed

Kokuryo, Daisuke; Aoki, Ichio; Yuba, Eiji; Kono, Kenji; Aoshima, Sadahito; Kershaw, Jeff; Saga, Tsuneo

2017-07-01

The combination of radiotherapy with chemotherapy is one of the most promising strategies for cancer treatment. Here, a novel combination strategy utilizing carbon ion irradiation as a high-linear energy transfer (LET) radiotherapy and a thermo-triggered nanodevice is proposed, and drug accumulation in the tumor and treatment effects are evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging relaxometry and immunohistology (Ki-67, n = 15). The thermo-triggered liposomal anticancer nanodevice was administered into colon-26 tumor-grafted mice, and drug accumulation and efficacy was compared for 6 groups (n = 32) that received or did not receive the radiotherapy and thermo trigger. In vivo quantitative R 1 maps visually demonstrated that the multimodal thermosensitive polymer-modified liposomes (MTPLs) can accumulate in the tumor tissue regardless of whether the region was irradiated by carbon ions or not. The tumor volume after combination treatment with carbon ion irradiation and MTPLs with thermo-triggering was significantly smaller than all the control groups at 8 days after treatment. The proposed strategy of combining high-LET irradiation and the nanodevice provides an effective approach for minimally invasive cancer treatment. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Probing nanocrystalline grain dynamics in nanodevices

PubMed Central

Yeh, Sheng-Shiuan; Chang, Wen-Yao; Lin, Juhn-Jong

2017-01-01

Dynamical structural defects exist naturally in a wide variety of solids. They fluctuate temporally and hence can deteriorate the performance of many electronic devices. Thus far, the entities of these dynamic objects have been identified to be individual atoms. On the other hand, it is a long-standing question whether a nanocrystalline grain constituted of a large number of atoms can switch, as a whole, reversibly like a dynamical atomic defect (that is, a two-level system). This is an emergent issue considering the current development of nanodevices with ultralow electrical noise, qubits with long quantum coherence time, and nanoelectromechanical system sensors with ultrahigh resolution. We demonstrate experimental observations of dynamic nanocrystalline grains that repeatedly switch between two or more metastable coordinate states. We study temporal resistance fluctuations in thin ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) metal nanowires and extract microscopic parameters, including relaxation time scales, mobile grain sizes, and the bonding strengths of nanograin boundaries. These material parameters are not obtainable by other experimental approaches. When combined with previous in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, our electrical method can be used to infer rich information about the structural dynamics of a wide variety of nanodevices and new two-dimensional materials. PMID:28691094

Genetically Engineered Microelectronic Infrared Filters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cwik, Tom; Klimeck, Gerhard

1998-01-01

A genetic algorithm is used for design of infrared filters and in the understanding of the material structure of a resonant tunneling diode. These two components are examples of microdevices and nanodevices that can be numerically simulated using fundamental mathematical and physical models. Because the number of parameters that can be used in the design of one of these devices is large, and because experimental exploration of the design space is unfeasible, reliable software models integrated with global optimization methods are examined The genetic algorithm and engineering design codes have been implemented on massively parallel computers to exploit their high performance. Design results are presented for the infrared filter showing new and optimized device design. Results for nanodevices are presented in a companion paper at this workshop.

Fundamental Problems of Hybrid CMOS/Nanodevice Circuits

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-14

Development of an area-distributed CMOS/nanodevice interface We have carried out the first design of CMOS chips for the CMOS/nanodevice integration, and...got them fabricated in IBM’ 180-nm 7RF process (via MOSIS, Inc. silicon foundry). Each 44 mm2 chip assembly of the design consists of 4 component... chips , merged together for processing convenience. Each 22 mm2 component chip features two interface arrays, with 1010 vias each, with chip’s MOSFETs

Alignment control and atomically-scaled heteroepitaxial interface study of GaN nanowires.

PubMed

Liu, Qingyun; Liu, Baodan; Yang, Wenjin; Yang, Bing; Zhang, Xinglai; Labbé, Christophe; Portier, Xavier; An, Vladimir; Jiang, Xin

2017-04-20

Well-aligned GaN nanowires are promising candidates for building high-performance optoelectronic nanodevices. In this work, we demonstrate the epitaxial growth of well-aligned GaN nanowires on a [0001]-oriented sapphire substrate in a simple catalyst-assisted chemical vapor deposition process and their alignment control. It is found that the ammonia flux plays a key role in dominating the initial nucleation of GaN nanocrystals and their orientation. Typically, significant improvement of the GaN nanowire alignment can be realized at a low NH 3 flow rate. X-ray diffraction and cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy studies further verified the preferential orientation of GaN nanowires along the [0001] direction. The growth mechanism of GaN nanowire arrays is also well studied based on cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) characterization and it is observed that GaN nanowires have good epitaxial growth on the sapphire substrate following the crystallographic relationship between (0001) GaN ∥(0001) sapphire and (101[combining macron]0) GaN ∥(112[combining macron]0) sapphire . Most importantly, periodic misfit dislocations are also experimentally observed in the interface region due to the large lattice mismatch between the GaN nanowire and the sapphire substrate, and the formation of such dislocations will favor the release of structural strain in GaN nanowires. HRTEM analysis also finds the existence of "type I" stacking faults and voids inside the GaN nanowires. Optical investigation suggests that the GaN nanowire arrays have strong emission in the UV range, suggesting their crystalline nature and chemical purity. The achievement of aligned GaN nanowires will further promote the wide applications of GaN nanostructures toward diverse high-performance optoelectronic nanodevices including nano-LEDs, photovoltaic cells, photodetectors etc.

Object-oriented design tools for supramolecular devices and biomedical nanotechnology.

PubMed

Lee, Stephen C; Bhalerao, Khaustaub; Ferrari, Mauro

2004-05-01

Nanotechnology provides multifunctional agents for in vivo use that increasingly blur the distinction between pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Realization of such therapeutic nanodevices requires multidisciplinary effort that is difficult for individual device developers to sustain, and identification of appropriate collaborations outside ones own field can itself be challenging. Further, as in vivo nanodevices become increasingly complex, their design will increasingly demand systems level thinking. System engineering tools such as object-oriented analysis, object-oriented design (OOA/D) and unified modeling language (UML) are applicable to nanodevices built from biological components, help logically manage the knowledge needed to design them, and help identify useful collaborative relationships for device designers. We demonstrate the utility of these systems engineering tools by reverse engineering an existing molecular device (the bacmid molecular cloning system) using them, and illustrate how object-oriented approaches identify fungible components (objects) in nanodevices in a way that facilitates design of families of related devices, rather than single inventions. We also explore the utility of object-oriented approaches for design of another class of therapeutic nanodevices, vaccines. While they are useful for design of current nanodevices, the power of systems design tools for biomedical nanotechnology will become increasingly apparent as the complexity and sophistication of in vivo nanosystems increases. The nested, hierarchical nature of object-oriented approaches allows treatment of devices as objects in higher-order structures, and so will facilitate concatenation of multiple devices into higher-order, higher-function nanosystems.

Patterning nanofibrils through the templated growth of multiple modified amyloid peptides

PubMed Central

Sakai, Hiroki; Watanabe, Ken; Kudoh, Fuki; Kamada, Rui; Chuman, Yoshiro; Sakaguchi, Kazuyasu

2016-01-01

There has been considerable interest in the patterning of functionalized nanowires because of the potential applications of these materials to the construction of nanodevices. A variety of biomolecular building blocks containing amyloid peptides have been used to functionalize nanowires. However, the patterning of self-assembled nanowires can be challenging because of the difficulties associated with controlling the self-assembly of these functionalized building blocks. Herein, we present a versatile approach for the patterning of nanowires based on the combination of templated fibril growth with a versatile functionalization method using our structure-controllable amyloid peptides (SCAPs). Using this approach, we have succeeded in the formation of multi-type nanowires with tandem domain structures in high yields. Given that the mixing-SCAP method can lead to the formation of tandem fibrils, it is noteworthy that our method allowed us to control the initiation of fibril formation from the gold nanoparticles, which were attached to a short fibril as initiation points. This approach could be used to prepare a wide variety of fibril patterns, and therefore holds great potential for the development of novel self-assembled nanodevices. PMID:27559011

Biocompatible Nanomaterials and Nanodevices Promising for Biomedical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firkowska, Izabela; Giannona, Suna; Rojas-Chapana, José A.; Luecke, Klaus; Brüstle, Oliver; Giersig, Michael

Nanotechnology applied to biology requires a thorough understanding of how molecules, sub-cellular entities, cells, tissues, and organs function and how they are structured. The merging of nanomaterials and life science into hybrids of controlled organization and function is possible, assuming that biology is nanostructured, and therefore man-made nano-materials can structurally mimic nature and complement each other. By taking advantage of their special properties, nanomaterials can stimulate, respond to and interact with target cells and tissues in controlled ways to induce desired physiological responses with a minimum of undesirable effects. To fulfill this goal the fabrication of nano-engineered materials and devices has to consider the design of natural systems. Thus, engineered micro-nano-featured systems can be applied to biology and biomedicine to enable new functionalities and new devices. These include, among others, nanostructured implants providing many advantages over existing, conventional ones, nanodevices for cell manipulation, and nanosensors that would provide reliable information on biological processes and functions.

Tailored coating of gold nanostars: rational approach to prototype of theranostic device based on SERS and photothermal effects at ultralow irradiance.

PubMed

Bassi, B; Dacarro, G; Galinetto, P; Giulotto, E; Marchesi, N; Pallavicini, P; Pascale, A; Perversi, S; Taglietti, A

2018-06-08

The last decade has come across an increasing demand for theranostic biocompatible nanodevices possessing the double ability of diagnosis and therapy. In this work, we report the design, synthesis and step-by-step characterization of rationally coated gold nanostars (GNSs) for the SERS imaging and photothermal therapy of HeLa cancer cells. The nanodevices were realized by synthesizing GNSs with a seed growth approach, coating them with a controlled mixture of thiols composed of a Raman reporter and a polyethylene glycol with a terminal amino group, and then reacting these amino groups with folic acid (FA), in order to impart selectivity towards cancer cells which overexpress folate receptors on their membranes. After a complete characterization, we demonstrate that these FA-functionalized GNSs (FA-GNSs) are able to bind selectively to the membranes of HeLa cells, acting as SERS tags and allowing SERS imaging. Moreover, we demonstrate that once bound to HeLa cell membranes, FA-GNSs exhibit photothermal effect which can be exploited to kill the same cells in vitro using laser irradiation in the NIR at a very low and safe irradiance. We thus demonstrate that the FA-GNSs designed following the described approach are an efficient prototype of theranostic nanodevices.

Tailored coating of gold nanostars: rational approach to prototype of theranostic device based on SERS and photothermal effects at ultralow irradiance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bassi, B.; Dacarro, G.; Galinetto, P.; Giulotto, E.; Marchesi, N.; Pallavicini, P.; Pascale, A.; Perversi, S.; Taglietti, A.

2018-06-01

The last decade has come across an increasing demand for theranostic biocompatible nanodevices possessing the double ability of diagnosis and therapy. In this work, we report the design, synthesis and step-by-step characterization of rationally coated gold nanostars (GNSs) for the SERS imaging and photothermal therapy of HeLa cancer cells. The nanodevices were realized by synthesizing GNSs with a seed growth approach, coating them with a controlled mixture of thiols composed of a Raman reporter and a polyethylene glycol with a terminal amino group, and then reacting these amino groups with folic acid (FA), in order to impart selectivity towards cancer cells which overexpress folate receptors on their membranes. After a complete characterization, we demonstrate that these FA-functionalized GNSs (FA-GNSs) are able to bind selectively to the membranes of HeLa cells, acting as SERS tags and allowing SERS imaging. Moreover, we demonstrate that once bound to HeLa cell membranes, FA-GNSs exhibit photothermal effect which can be exploited to kill the same cells in vitro using laser irradiation in the NIR at a very low and safe irradiance. We thus demonstrate that the FA-GNSs designed following the described approach are an efficient prototype of theranostic nanodevices.

Protein-driven RNA nanostructured devices that function in vitro and control mammalian cell fate.

PubMed

Shibata, Tomonori; Fujita, Yoshihiko; Ohno, Hirohisa; Suzuki, Yuki; Hayashi, Karin; Komatsu, Kaoru R; Kawasaki, Shunsuke; Hidaka, Kumi; Yonehara, Shin; Sugiyama, Hiroshi; Endo, Masayuki; Saito, Hirohide

2017-09-14

Nucleic acid nanotechnology has great potential for future therapeutic applications. However, the construction of nanostructured devices that control cell fate by detecting and amplifying protein signals has remained a challenge. Here we design and build protein-driven RNA-nanostructured devices that actuate in vitro by RNA-binding-protein-inducible conformational change and regulate mammalian cell fate by RNA-protein interaction-mediated protein assembly. The conformation and function of the RNA nanostructures are dynamically controlled by RNA-binding protein signals. The protein-responsive RNA nanodevices are constructed inside cells using RNA-only delivery, which may provide a safe tool for building functional RNA-protein nanostructures. Moreover, the designed RNA scaffolds that control the assembly and oligomerization of apoptosis-regulatory proteins on a nanometre scale selectively kill target cells via specific RNA-protein interactions. These findings suggest that synthetic RNA nanodevices could function as molecular robots that detect signals and localize target proteins, induce RNA conformational changes, and programme mammalian cellular behaviour.Nucleic acid nanotechnology has great potential for future therapeutic applications. Here the authors build protein-driven RNA nanostructures that can function within mammalian cells and regulate the cell fate.

Micro/Nano Fabricated Solid-State Thermoelectric Generator Devices for Integrated High Voltage Power Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleurial, J.-P.; Ryan, M. A.; Snyder, G. J.; Huang, C.-K.; Whitacre, J. F.; Patel, J.; Lim, J.; Borshchevsky, A.

2002-01-01

Deep space missions have a strong need for compact, high power density, reliable and long life electrical power generation and storage under extreme temperature conditions. Except for electrochemical batteries and solar cells, there are currently no available miniaturized power sources. Conventional power generators devices become inefficient in extreme environments (such as encountered in Mars, Venus or outer planet missions) and rechargeable energy storage devices can only be operated in a narrow temperature range thereby limiting mission duration. The planned development of much smaller spacecrafts incorporating a variety of micro/nanodevices and miniature vehicles will require novel, reliable power technologies. It is also expected that such micro power sources could have a wide range of terrestrial applications, in particular when the limited lifetime and environmental limitations of batteries are key factors. Advanced solid-state thermoelectric combined with radioisotope or waste heat sources and low profile energy storage devices are ideally suited for these applications. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been actively pursuing the development of thermoelectric micro/nanodevices that can be fabricated using a combination of electrochemical deposition and integrated circuit processing techniques. Some of the technical challenges associated with these micro/nanodevice concepts, their expected level of performance and experimental fabrication and testing results to date are presented and discussed.

Sandia National Laboratories: Research: Research Foundations: Radiation

Science.gov Websites

Effects and High Energy Density Science Sandia National Laboratories Exceptional service in the Engineering Science Geoscience Materials Science Nanodevices & Microsystems Radiation Effects & High Science Geoscience Materials Science Nanodevices and Microsystems Radiation Effects and High Energy

Sandia National Laboratories: Research: Research Foundations: Geoscience

Science.gov Websites

Materials Science Nanodevices & Microsystems Radiation Effects & High Energy Density Science Engineering Science Geoscience Materials Science Nanodevices and Microsystems Radiation Effects and High variety of scales, including mechanical, thermal, and chemical effects Improve the understanding of

DNA Origami: Folded DNA-Nanodevices That Can Direct and Interpret Cell Behavior

PubMed Central

Kearney, Cathal J.; Lucas, Christopher R.; O'Brien, Fergal J.; Castro, Carlos E.

2016-01-01

DNA origami is a DNA-based nanotechnology that utilizes programmed combinations of short complementary oligonucleotides to fold a large single strand of DNA into precise 2-D and 3-D shapes. The exquisite nanoscale shape control of this inherently biocompatible material is combined with the potential to spatially address the origami structures with diverse cargos including drugs, antibodies, nucleic acid sequences, small molecules and inorganic particles. This programmable flexibility enables the fabrication of precise nanoscale devices that have already shown great potential for biomedical applications such as: drug delivery, biosensing and synthetic nanopore formation. In this Progress Report, we will review the advances in the DNA origami field since its inception several years ago and then focus on how these DNA-nanodevices can be designed to interact with cells to direct or probe their behavior. PMID:26840503

Fabrication of Nanochannels

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yuqi; Kong, Xiang-Yu; Gao, Loujun; Tian, Ye; Wen, Liping; Jiang, Lei

2015-01-01

Nature has inspired the fabrication of intelligent devices to meet the needs of the advanced community and better understand the imitation of biology. As a biomimetic nanodevice, nanochannels/nanopores aroused increasing interest because of their potential applications in nanofluidic fields. In this review, we have summarized some recent results mainly focused on the design and fabrication of one-dimensional nanochannels, which can be made of many materials, including polymers, inorganics, biotic materials, and composite materials. These nanochannels have some properties similar to biological channels, such as selectivity, voltage-dependent current fluctuations, ionic rectification current and ionic gating, etc. Therefore, they show great potential for the fields of biosensing, filtration, and energy conversions. These advances can not only help people to understand the living processes in nature, but also inspire scientists to develop novel nanodevices with better performance for mankind. PMID:28793564

Force Sensing Applications of DNA Origami Nanodevices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudoba, Michael William

Mechanical forces in biological systems vary in both length and magnitude by orders of magnitude making them difficult to probe and characterize with existing experimental methodologies. From molecules to cells, forces can act across length scales of nanometers to microns at magnitudes ranging from picoNewtons to nanoNewtons. Although single-molecule techniques such as optical traps, magnetic tweezers, and atomic force microscopy have improved the resolution and sensitivity of such measurements, inherent drawbacks exist in their capabilities due to the nature of the tools themselves. Specifically, these techniques have limitations in their ability to measure forces in realistic cellular environments and are not amenable to in vivo applications or measurements in mimicked physiological environments. In this thesis, we present a method to develop DNA force-sensing nanodevices with sub-picoNewton resolution capable of measuring forces in realistic cellular environments, with future applications in vivo. We use a design technique known as DNA origami to assemble devices with nanoscale geometric precision through molecular self-assembly via Watson-Crick base pairing. The devices have multiple conformational states, monitored by observing a Forster Resonance Energy Transfer signal that can change under the application of force. We expanded this study by demonstrating the design of responsive structural dynamics in DNA-based nanodevices. While prior studies have relied on external inputs to drive relatively slow dynamics in DNA nanostructures, here we developed DNA nanodevices with thermally driven dynamic function. The device was designed with an ensemble of conformations, and we establish methods to tune the equilibrium distribution of conformations and the rate of switching between states. We also show this nanodynamic behavior is responsive to physical interactions with the environment by measuring molecular crowding forces in the sub-picoNewton range, which are known to play a critical role in regulating molecular interactions and processes. Broadly, this work establishes a foundation for nanodevices with thermally driven dynamics that enable new measurement and control functions. We also examine the effect that forces have on the mechanical properties of DNA origami devices by developing a method to automate mesh generation for Finite Element Analysis. With this approach we are able to determine how defects that arise during assembly affect mechanical strain within structures during force application that can ultimately lead to device failure.

Two-dimensional ZnO nanosheets grown on flexible ITO-PET substrate for self-powered energy-harvesting nanodevices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qingyi; Yang, Dechao; Qiu, Yu; Zhang, Xiaotong; Song, Wenbin; Hu, Lizhong

2018-02-01

Here, we report the two-step growth method of two-dimensional (2-D) ZnO nanosheets (NSs) and explore their formation mechanism. Additionally, we illustrate their application for high-performance piezoelectric nanogenerators (NGs) by using grown products from various reaction times. The result shows that NGs based on 2-D NSs demonstrated better output performance than those based on 1-D NWs, which surprisingly increased from ˜40 nA to ˜0.15 μA under the same compressive force of ˜1 kgf. It can also be observed that the output current is slightly elevated as the 2-D nanostructures become thinner. Our results offer a unique way to improve the output performance of NGs by means of controlling the synthesis period of ZnO nanostructures, which have important applications in flexible electronics and wearable devices.

Sandia National Laboratories: Research: R&D 100 Awards

Science.gov Websites

high radiation environments such as space. Watch the video. control system for active damping of inter first commercially available, high-voltage, high-frequency, high-current, high-temperature, single-chip Materials Science Nanodevices & Microsystems Radiation Effects & High Energy Density Science

Ultra-Flexibility and Unusual Electronic, Magnetic and Chemical Properties of Waved Graphenes and Nanoribbons

PubMed Central

Pan, Hui; Chen, Bin

2014-01-01

Two-dimensional materials have attracted increasing attention because of their particular properties and potential applications in next-generation nanodevices. In this work, we investigate the physical and chemical properties of waved graphenes/nanoribbons based on first-principles calculations. We show that waved graphenes are compressible up to a strain of 50% and ultra-flexible because of the vanishing in-plane stiffness. The conductivity of waved graphenes is reduced due to charge decoupling under high compression. Our analysis of pyramidalization angles predicts that the chemistry of waved graphenes can be easily controlled by modulating local curvatures. We further demonstrate that band gaps of armchair waved graphene nanoribbons decrease with the increase of compression if they are asymmetrical in geometry, while increase if symmetrical. For waved zigzag nanoribbons, their anti-ferromagnetic states are strongly enhanced by increasing compression. The versatile functions of waved graphenes enable their applications in multi-functional nanodevices and sensors. PMID:24569444

Flexible regulation of DNA displacement reaction through nucleic acid-recognition enzyme and its application in keypad lock system and biosensing.

PubMed

Li, Chao; Shi, Liu; Tao, Yaqin; Mao, Xiaoxia; Xiang, Yang; Li, Genxi

2017-08-30

Toehold-mediated DNA strand displacement reaction (SDR) plays pivotal roles for the construction of diverse dynamic DNA nanodevices. To date, many elements have been introduced into SDR system to achieve controllable activation and fine regulation. However, as the most relevant stimuli for nucleic acid involved reaction, nucleic acid-recognizing enzymes (NAEs) have received nearly no attention so far despite SDR often takes place in NAEs-enriched environment (i.e., biological fluids). Herein, we report a set of NAEs-controlled SDR strategies, which take full advantage of NAEs' properties. In this study, three different kinds of enzymes belonging to several classes (i.e., exonuclease, endonuclease and polymerase) have been used to activate or inhibit SDR, and more importantly, some mechanisms behind these strategies on how NAEs affect SDR have also been revealed. The exploration to use NAEs as possible cues to operate SDR will expand the available toolbox to build novel stimuli-fueled DNA nanodevices and could open the door to many applications including enzyme-triggered biocomputing and biosensing.

MOF-5 decorated hierarchical ZnO nanorod arrays and its photoluminescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yinmin; Lan, Ding; Wang, Yuren; Cao, He; Jiang, Heng

2011-04-01

The strategy to manipulate nanoscale materials into well-organized hierarchical architectures is very important to both material synthesis and nanodevice applications. Here, nanoscale MOF-5 crystallites were successfully fabricated onto ordered hierarchical ZnO arrays based on aqueous chemical synthesis and molecule self-assembly technology guided room temperature diffusion method, which has the advantages of energy saving and simple operation. The structures and morphologies of the samples were performed by X-ray powder diffraction and field emission scanning electronic microscopy. The MOF-5 crystallites have good quality and bind well to the hexagonal-patterned ZnO arrays. The photoluminescence spectrum shows that the emission of hybrid MOF-5-ZnO films displays a blue shift in green emission and intensity reduction in UV emission. This ordered hybrid semiconductor material is expected to exploit the great potentiality in sensors, micro/nanodevices, and screen displays.

Nanodevices from Nanocomponents: Memory Logic and Mechanical Nanodevices

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-11

microemulsion method at room temperature. The microemulsion system was made up of cyclohexane, NP-5, PbSe and dimethylamine. Typically, 10 ml...30 min after the microemulsion system was formed, 100 \\i\\ dimethylamine aqueous solution (40wt %) was introduced to initiate the polymerization...growth was completed after 24 h of stirring. The nanoparticles were destabilized from the microemulsion using acetone and precipitated by

Designing DNA nanodevices for compatibility with the immune system of higher organisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surana, Sunaina; Shenoy, Avinash R.; Krishnan, Yamuna

2015-09-01

DNA is proving to be a powerful scaffold to construct molecularly precise designer DNA devices. Recent trends reveal their ever-increasing deployment within living systems as delivery devices that not only probe but also program and re-program a cell, or even whole organisms. Given that DNA is highly immunogenic, we outline the molecular, cellular and organismal response pathways that designer nucleic acid nanodevices are likely to elicit in living systems. We address safety issues applicable when such designer DNA nanodevices interact with the immune system. In light of this, we discuss possible molecular programming strategies that could be integrated with such designer nucleic acid scaffolds to either evade or stimulate the host response with a view to optimizing and widening their applications in higher organisms.

Hybrid plasmonic nanodevices: Switching mechanism for the nonlinear emission

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bragas, Andrea V.; Singh, Mahi R.

2014-03-31

Control of the light emission at the nanoscale is of central interest in nanophotonics due to the many applications in very different fields, ranging from quantum information to biophysics. Resonant excitation of surface plasmon polaritons in metal nanoparticles create nanostructured and enhanced light fields around those structures, which produce their strong interaction in a hybrid nanodevice with other plasmonic or non-plasmonic objects. This interaction may in turn also modulate the far field with important consequences in the applications. We show in this paper that the nonlinear emission from semiconductor quantum dots is strongly affected by the close presence of metalmore » nanoparticles, which are resonantly excited. Using a pulsed laser, optical second harmonic is generated in the quantum dot, and it is highly enhanced when the laser is tuned around the nanoparticle plasmon resonance. Even more interesting is the demonstration of a switching mechanism, controlled by an external continuous-wave field, which can enhance or extinguish the SH signal, even when the pulsed laser is always on. Experimental observations are in excellent agreement with the theoretical calculations, based on the dipole-dipole near-field coupling of the objects forming the hybrid system.« less

Dendrimers for Drug Delivery.

PubMed

Chauhan, Abhay Singh

2018-04-18

Dendrimers have come a long way in the last 25 years since their inception. Originally created as a wonder molecule of chemistry, dendrimer is now in the fourth class of polymers. Dr. Donald Tomalia first published his seminal work on Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers in 1985. Application of dendrimers as a drug delivery system started in late 1990s. Dendrimers for drug delivery are employed using two approaches: (i) formulation and (ii) nanoconstruct. In the formulation approach, drugs are physically entrapped in a dendrimer using non-covalent interactions, whereas drugs are covalently coupled on dendrimers in the nanoconstruct approach. We have demonstrated the utility of PAMAM dendrimers for enhancing solubility, stability and oral bioavailability of various drugs. Drug entrapment and drug release from dendrimers can be controlled by modifying dendrimer surfaces and generations. PAMAM dendrimers are also shown to increase transdermal permeation and specific drug targeting. Dendrimer platforms can be engineered to attach targeting ligands and imaging molecules to create a nanodevice. Dendrimer nanotechnology, due to its multifunctional ability, has the potential to create next generation nanodevices.

Single-electron quantization at room temperature in a-few-donor quantum dot in silicon nano-transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samanta, Arup; Muruganathan, Manoharan; Hori, Masahiro; Ono, Yukinori; Mizuta, Hiroshi; Tabe, Michiharu; Moraru, Daniel

2017-02-01

Quantum dots formed by donor-atoms in Si nanodevices can provide a breakthrough for functionality at the atomic level with one-by-one control of electrons. However, single-electron effects in donor-atom devices have only been observed at low temperatures mainly due to the low tunnel barriers. If a few donor-atoms are closely coupled as a molecule to form a quantum dot, the ground-state energy level is significantly deepened, leading to higher tunnel barriers. Here, we demonstrate that such an a-few-donor quantum dot, formed by selective conventional doping of phosphorus (P) donors in a Si nano-channel, sustains Coulomb blockade behavior even at room temperature. In this work, such a quantum dot is formed by 3 P-donors located near the center of the selectively-doped area, which is consistent with a statistical analysis. This finding demonstrates practical conditions for atomic- and molecular-level electronics based on donor-atoms in silicon nanodevices.

Origin of n-type conductivity in two-dimensional InSe: In atoms from surface adsorption and van der Waals gap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hui; Shi, Jun-jie; Huang, Pu; Ding, Yi-min; Wu, Meng; Cen, Yu-lang; Yu, Tongjun

2018-04-01

Recently, two-dimensional (2D) InSe nanosheet becomes a promising material for electronic and optoelectronic nano-devices due to its excellent electron transport, wide bandgap tunability and good metal contact. The inevitable native point defects are essential in determining its characteristics and device performance. Here we investigate the defect formation energy and thermodynamic transition levels for the most important native defects and clarify the physical origin of n-type conductivity in unintentionally doped 2D InSe by using the powerful first-principles calculations. We find that both surface In adatom and Se vacancy are the key defects, and the In adatom, donated 0.65 electrons to the host, causes the n-type conductivity in monolayer InSe under In-rich conditions. For bilayer or few-layer InSe, the In interstitial within the van der Waals gap, transferred 0.68 electrons to InSe, is found to be the most stable donor defect, which dominates the n-type character. Our results are significant for understanding the defect nature of 2D InSe and improving the related nano-device performance.

Activating "Invisible" Glue: Using Electron Beam for Enhancement of Interfacial Properties of Graphene-Metal Contact.

PubMed

Kim, Songkil; Russell, Michael; Kulkarni, Dhaval D; Henry, Mathias; Kim, Steve; Naik, Rajesh R; Voevodin, Andrey A; Jang, Seung Soon; Tsukruk, Vladimir V; Fedorov, Andrei G

2016-01-26

Interfacial contact of two-dimensional graphene with three-dimensional metal electrodes is crucial to engineering high-performance graphene-based nanodevices with superior performance. Here, we report on the development of a rapid "nanowelding" method for enhancing properties of interface to graphene buried under metal electrodes using a focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID). High energy electron irradiation activates two-dimensional graphene structure by generation of structural defects at the interface to metal contacts with subsequent strong bonding via FEBID of an atomically thin graphitic interlayer formed by low energy secondary electron-assisted dissociation of entrapped hydrocarbon contaminants. Comprehensive investigation is conducted to demonstrate formation of the FEBID graphitic interlayer and its impact on contact properties of graphene devices achieved via strong electromechanical coupling at graphene-metal interfaces. Reduction of the device electrical resistance by ∼50% at a Dirac point and by ∼30% at the gate voltage far from the Dirac point is obtained with concurrent improvement in thermomechanical reliability of the contact interface. Importantly, the process is rapid and has an excellent insertion potential into a conventional fabrication workflow of graphene-based nanodevices through single-step postprocessing modification of interfacial properties at the buried heterogeneous contact.

Gold decorated porous biosilica nanodevices for advanced medicine.

PubMed

Terracciano, Monica; Napolitano, Michela; De Stefano, Luca; De Luca, Anna Chiara; Rea, Ilaria

2018-06-08

Diatomite is a fossil material made of amorphous porous silica. In this work, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified diatomite NPs (PEG-DNPs) are decorated with gold NPs (AuNPs) by one-pot liquid-phase synthesis. Nanocomplexes (PEG-DNPs@AuNPs), with an average size of about 450 nm, are characterized by dynamic light scattering, electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis, UV-vis and photoluminescence spectroscopies. Preliminary studies on the use of the nanocomplex in nanomedicine are also presented. Tests performed incubating PEG-DNPs@AuNPs in physiological conditions reveal a good stability of material. Cellular uptake of labeled PEG-DNPs@AuNPs is investigated by confocal microscopy after incubation with human cervix epithelioid carcinoma (HeLa) cells up to 48 h: an efficient cytoplasmic localization is observed. In vitro cytotoxicity of nanocomplexes with a concentration up to 400 μg ml -1 for 72 h is also evaluated. The results suggest the use of PEG-DNPs@AuNPs as advanced nanodevices adding imaging features to the nanocomplexes, due to AuNPs as contrast agent.

Gold decorated porous biosilica nanodevices for advanced medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terracciano, Monica; Napolitano, Michela; De Stefano, Luca; Chiara De Luca, Anna; Rea, Ilaria

2018-06-01

Diatomite is a fossil material made of amorphous porous silica. In this work, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified diatomite NPs (PEG-DNPs) are decorated with gold NPs (AuNPs) by one-pot liquid-phase synthesis. Nanocomplexes (PEG-DNPs@AuNPs), with an average size of about 450 nm, are characterized by dynamic light scattering, electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis, UV–vis and photoluminescence spectroscopies. Preliminary studies on the use of the nanocomplex in nanomedicine are also presented. Tests performed incubating PEG-DNPs@AuNPs in physiological conditions reveal a good stability of material. Cellular uptake of labeled PEG-DNPs@AuNPs is investigated by confocal microscopy after incubation with human cervix epithelioid carcinoma (HeLa) cells up to 48 h: an efficient cytoplasmic localization is observed. In vitro cytotoxicity of nanocomplexes with a concentration up to 400 μg ml‑1 for 72 h is also evaluated. The results suggest the use of PEG-DNPs@AuNPs as advanced nanodevices adding imaging features to the nanocomplexes, due to AuNPs as contrast agent.

"Catch the Pendulum": The Problem of Asymmetric Data Delivery in Electromagnetic Nanonetworks.

PubMed

Islam, Nabiul; Misra, Sudip

2016-09-01

The network of novel nano-material based nanodevices, known as nanoscale communication networks or nanonetworks has ushered a new communication paradigm in the terahertz band (0.1-10 THz). In this work, first we envisage an architecture of nanonetworks-based Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) monitoring, consisting of nano-macro interface (NM) and nanodevice-embedded Drug Eluting Stents (DESs), termed as nanoDESs. Next, we study the problem of asymmetric data delivery in such nanonetworks-based systems and propose a simple distance-aware power allocation algorithm, named catch-the-pendulum, which optimizes the energy consumption of nanoDESs for communicating data from the underlying nanonetworks to radio frequency (RF) based macro-scale communication networks. The algorithm exploits the periodic change in mean distance between a nanoDES, inserted inside the affected coronary artery, and the NM, fitted in the intercostal space of the rib cage of a patient suffering from a CHD. Extensive simulations confirm superior performance of the proposed algorithm with respect to energy consumption, packet delivery, and shutdown phase.

Photon hopping and nanowire based hybrid plasmonic waveguide and ring-resonator

PubMed Central

Gu, Zhiyuan; Liu, Shuai; Sun, Shang; Wang, Kaiyang; Lyu, Quan; Xiao, Shumin; Song, Qinghai

2015-01-01

Nanowire based hybrid plasmonic structure plays an important role in achieving nanodevices, especially for the wide band-gap materials. However, the conventional schemes of nanowire based devices such as nano-resonators are usually isolated from the integrated nano-network and have extremely low quality (Q) factors. Here we demonstrate the transmission of waves across a gap in hybrid plasmonic waveguide, which is termed as “photon hopping”. Based on the photon hopping, we show that the emissions from nanodevices can be efficiently collected and conducted by additional nanowires. The collection ratio can be higher than 50% for a wide range of separation distance, transverse shift, and tilt. Moreover, we have also explored the possibility of improving performances of individual devices by nano-manipulating the nanowire to a pseudo-ring. Our calculations show that both Q factor and Purcell factor have been increased by more than an order of magnitude. We believe that our researches will be essential to forming nanolasers and the following nano-networks.

Low-Energy Truly Random Number Generation with Superparamagnetic Tunnel Junctions for Unconventional Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vodenicarevic, D.; Locatelli, N.; Mizrahi, A.; Friedman, J. S.; Vincent, A. F.; Romera, M.; Fukushima, A.; Yakushiji, K.; Kubota, H.; Yuasa, S.; Tiwari, S.; Grollier, J.; Querlioz, D.

2017-11-01

Low-energy random number generation is critical for many emerging computing schemes proposed to complement or replace von Neumann architectures. However, current random number generators are always associated with an energy cost that is prohibitive for these computing schemes. We introduce random number bit generation based on specific nanodevices: superparamagnetic tunnel junctions. We experimentally demonstrate high-quality random bit generation that represents an orders-of-magnitude improvement in energy efficiency over current solutions. We show that the random generation speed improves with nanodevice scaling, and we investigate the impact of temperature, magnetic field, and cross talk. Finally, we show how alternative computing schemes can be implemented using superparamagentic tunnel junctions as random number generators. These results open the way for fabricating efficient hardware computing devices leveraging stochasticity, and they highlight an alternative use for emerging nanodevices.

Mechatronic Development and Vision Feedback Control of a Nanorobotics Manipulation System inside SEM for Nanodevice Assembly

PubMed Central

Yang, Zhan; Wang, Yaqiong; Yang, Bin; Li, Guanghui; Chen, Tao; Nakajima, Masahiro; Sun, Lining; Fukuda, Toshio

2016-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been developed in recent decades for nanodevices such as nanoradios, nanogenerators, carbon nanotube field effect transistors (CNTFETs) and so on, indicating that the application of CNTs for nanoscale electronics may play a key role in the development of nanotechnology. Nanorobotics manipulation systems are a promising method for nanodevice construction and assembly. For the purpose of constructing three-dimensional CNTFETs, a nanorobotics manipulation system with 16 DOFs was developed for nanomanipulation of nanometer-scale objects inside the specimen chamber of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Nanorobotics manipulators are assembled into four units with four DOFs (X-Y-Z-θ) individually. The rotational one is actuated by a picomotor. That means a manipulator has four DOFs including three linear motions in the X, Y, Z directions and a 360-degree rotational one (X-Y-Z-θ stage, θ is along the direction rotating with X or Y axis). Manipulators are actuated by picomotors with better than 30 nm linear resolution and <1 micro-rad rotary resolution. Four vertically installed AFM cantilevers (the axis of the cantilever tip is vertical to the axis of electronic beam of SEM) served as the end-effectors to facilitate the real-time observation of the operations. A series of kinematic derivations of these four manipulators based on the Denavit-Hartenberg (D-H) notation were established. The common working space of the end-effectors is 2.78 mm by 4.39 mm by 6 mm. The manipulation strategy and vision feedback control for multi-manipulators operating inside the SEM chamber were been discussed. Finally, application of the designed nanorobotics manipulation system by successfully testing of the pickup-and-place manipulation of an individual CNT onto four probes was described. The experimental results have shown that carbon nanotubes can be successfully picked up with this nanorobotics manipulation system. PMID:27649180

Mechatronic Development and Vision Feedback Control of a Nanorobotics Manipulation System inside SEM for Nanodevice Assembly.

PubMed

Yang, Zhan; Wang, Yaqiong; Yang, Bin; Li, Guanghui; Chen, Tao; Nakajima, Masahiro; Sun, Lining; Fukuda, Toshio

2016-09-14

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been developed in recent decades for nanodevices such as nanoradios, nanogenerators, carbon nanotube field effect transistors (CNTFETs) and so on, indicating that the application of CNTs for nanoscale electronics may play a key role in the development of nanotechnology. Nanorobotics manipulation systems are a promising method for nanodevice construction and assembly. For the purpose of constructing three-dimensional CNTFETs, a nanorobotics manipulation system with 16 DOFs was developed for nanomanipulation of nanometer-scale objects inside the specimen chamber of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Nanorobotics manipulators are assembled into four units with four DOFs (X-Y-Z-θ) individually. The rotational one is actuated by a picomotor. That means a manipulator has four DOFs including three linear motions in the X, Y, Z directions and a 360-degree rotational one (X-Y-Z-θ stage, θ is along the direction rotating with X or Y axis). Manipulators are actuated by picomotors with better than 30 nm linear resolution and <1 micro-rad rotary resolution. Four vertically installed AFM cantilevers (the axis of the cantilever tip is vertical to the axis of electronic beam of SEM) served as the end-effectors to facilitate the real-time observation of the operations. A series of kinematic derivations of these four manipulators based on the Denavit-Hartenberg (D-H) notation were established. The common working space of the end-effectors is 2.78 mm by 4.39 mm by 6 mm. The manipulation strategy and vision feedback control for multi-manipulators operating inside the SEM chamber were been discussed. Finally, application of the designed nanorobotics manipulation system by successfully testing of the pickup-and-place manipulation of an individual CNT onto four probes was described. The experimental results have shown that carbon nanotubes can be successfully picked up with this nanorobotics manipulation system.

Understanding the Fundamental Properties of Transfer-Free, Wafer-Level Graphene on Silicon and its Potential for Micro- and Nanodevices

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-18

graphene on silicon for on-chip supercapacitors ”, ECS 227th Meeting 2015, Chicago May 24-28, 2015. c) manuscripts submitted but not yet published...for supercapacitors ”, submitted, March 2015. Graphene has been shown to perform extremely well as a material for charge storage in macroscopic... supercapacitors . However, this performance has not been exploited in full for on-chip energy storage, due to the lack of a suitable fabrication process

Robust broad spectral photodetection (UV-NIR) and ultra high responsivity investigated in nanosheets and nanowires of Bi2Te3 under harsh nano-milling conditions.

PubMed

Sharma, Alka; Srivastava, A K; Senguttuvan, T D; Husale, Sudhir

2017-12-20

Due to miniaturization of device dimensions, the next generation's photodetector based devices are expected to be fabricated from robust nanostructured materials. Hence there is an utmost requirement of investigating exotic optoelectronic properties of nanodevices fabricated from new novel materials and testing their performances at harsh conditions. The recent advances on 2D layered materials indicate exciting progress on broad spectral photodetection (BSP) but still there is a great demand for fabricating ultra-high performance photodetectors made from single material sensing broad electromagnetic spectrum since the detection range 325 nm-1550 nm is not covered by the conventional Si or InGaAs photodetectors. Alternatively, Bi 2 Te 3 is a layered material, possesses exciting optoelectronic, thermoelectric, plasmonics properties. Here we report robust photoconductivity measurements on Bi 2 Te 3 nanosheets and nanowires demonstrating BSP from UV to NIR. The nanosheets of Bi 2 Te 3 show the best ultra-high photoresponsivity (~74 A/W at 1550 nm). Further these nanosheets when transform into nanowires using harsh FIB milling conditions exhibit about one order enhancement in the photoresponsivity without affecting the performance of the device even after 4 months of storage at ambient conditions. An ultra-high photoresponsivity and BSP indicate exciting robust nature of topological insulator based nanodevices for optoelectronic applications.

Quantum Transport and Optoelectronics in Gapped Graphene Nanodevices

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-30

profile publications, including two papers in Science[1, 2], two in Nature Physics[3, 4], two in Nature Nanotechnology [5, 6], two in Nature Communications...The above results have been published in Science [1]and Nature Nanotechnology [6]. Continuing this line of work, we performed a systematic...constituent layers in van der Waals heterostructures. This work was published in Nature Nanotechnology [5]. Figure 3. Real-space imaging of

Size-Controlled AgI/Ag Heteronanowires in Highly Ordered Alumina Membranes: Superionic Phase Stabilization and Conductivity.

PubMed

Zhang, Hemin; Tsuchiya, Takashi; Liang, Changhao; Terabe, Kazuya

2015-08-12

Nanoscaled ionic conductors are crucial for future nanodevices. A well-known ionic conductor, AgI, exhibited conductivity greater than 1 Ω(-1) cm(-1) in α-phase and transformed into poorly conducting β-/γ-phase below 147 °C, thereby limiting applications. Here, we report that transition temperatures both from the β-/γ- to α-phase (Tc↑) and the α- to β-/γ-phase (Tc↓) are tuned by AgI/Ag heteronanowires embedded in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes with 10-30 nm pores. Tc↑ and Tc↓ shift to correspondingly higher and lower temperature as pore size decreases, generating a progressively enlarged thermal hysteresis. Tc↑ and Tc↓ specifically achieve 185 and 52 °C in 10 nm pores, and the final survived conductivity reaches ∼8.3 × 10(-3) Ω(-1) cm(-1) at room temperature. Moreover, the low-temperature stabilizing α-phase (down to 21 °C, the lowest in state of the art temperatures) is reproducible and survives further thermal cycling. The low-temperature phase stabilization and enhancement conductivity reported here suggest promising applications in silver-ion-based future nanodevices.

N-Functionalized MXenes: ultrahigh carrier mobility and multifunctional properties.

PubMed

Shao, Yangfan; Zhang, Fang; Shi, Xingqiang; Pan, Hui

2017-11-01

Two dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have demonstrated huge potential in wide applications from nanodevices to energy harvesting/storage. In this work, we propose a new class of 2D monolayers, nitrogen-functionalized MXenes (Nb 2 CN 2 and Ta 2 CN 2 ), based on density-functional theory (DFT). We find that these monolayers are direct semiconductors with near linear energy dispersions at the Γ point. M 2 CN 2 monolayers have significant small effective mass and show an ultra-high mobility of up to 10 6 cm 2 V -1 s -1 . We show that the electronic structures of the M 2 CN 2 monolayers can be easily controlled by biaxial and uniaxial strains. Importantly, the carrier mobility and direct band gap can be dramatically increased within a certain range of strain. A direct-indirect band gap transition can be triggered and the band gap can be tuned under strain. The tunable electronic properties are attributed to the structural changes and charge redistribution under stain. Our findings demonstrate that N-functionalized MXenes are promising materials for nanodevices with high speed and low power.

Design of dendrimer-based drug delivery nanodevices with enhanced therapeutic efficacies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kannan, Rangaramanujam

2007-03-01

Dendrimers and hyperbranched polymers possess highly branched architectures, with a large number of controllable, tailorable, `peripheral' functionalities. Since the surface chemistry of these materials can be modified with relative ease, these materials have tremendous potential in targeted drug delivery. They have significant potential compared to liposomes and nanoparticles, because of the reduced macrophage update, increased cellular transport, and the ability to modulate the local environment through functional groups. We are developing nanodevices based on dendritic systems for drug delivery, that contain a high drug payload, ligands, and imaging agents, resulting in `smart' drug delivery devices that can target, deliver, and signal. In collaboration with the Children's Hospital of Michigan, Karmanos Cancer Institute, and College of Pharmacy, we are testing the in vitro and in vivo response of these nanodevices, by adapting the chemistry for specific clinical applications such as asthma and cancer. These materials are characterized by UV/Vis spectroscopy, flow cytometry, fluorescence/confocal microscopy, and appropriate animal models. Our results suggest that: (1) We can prepare drug-dendrimer conjugates with drug payloads of greater than 50%, for a variety of drugs; (2) The dendritic polymers are capable of transporting and delivering drugs into cells faster than free drugs, with superior therapeutic efficiency. This can be modulated by the surface functionality of the dendrimer; (3) For chemotherapy drugs, the conjugates are a factor of 6-20 times more effective even in drug-resistant cell lines; (4) For corticosteroidal drugs, the dendritic polymers provide higher drug residence times in the lung, allowing for passive targeting. The ability of the drug-dendrimer-ligand conjugates to target specific asthma and cancer cells is currently being explored using in vitro and in vivo animal models.

Structural tuning of photoluminescence in nanoporous anodic alumina by hard anodization in oxalic and malonic acids

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

We report on an exhaustive and systematic study about the photoluminescent properties of nanoporous anodic alumina membranes fabricated by the one-step anodization process under hard conditions in oxalic and malonic acids. This optical property is analysed as a function of several parameters (i.e. hard anodization voltage, pore diameter, membrane thickness, annealing temperature and acid electrolyte). This analysis makes it possible to tune the photoluminescent behaviour at will simply by modifying the structural characteristics of these membranes. This structural tuning ability is of special interest in such fields as optoelectronics, in which an accurate design of the basic nanostructures (e.g. microcavities, resonators, filters, supports, etc.) yields the control over their optical properties and, thus, upon the performance of the nanodevices derived from them (biosensors, interferometers, selective filters, etc.) PMID:22515214

A high output voltage flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator using porous lead-free KNbO3 nanofibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganeshkumar, Rajasekaran; Cheah, Chin Wei; Xu, Ruize; Kim, Sang-Gook; Zhao, Rong

2017-07-01

Self-powered nanodevices for applications such as sensor networks and IoTs are among the emerging technologies in electronics. Piezoelectric nanogenerators (P-NGs) that harvest energy from mechanical stimuli are highly valuable in the development of self-sufficient nanosystems. Despite progress in the development of P-NGs, the use of porous perovskite ferroelectric nanofibers was barely considered or discussed. In this letter, a flexible high output nanogenerator is fabricated using a nanocomposite comprising porous potassium niobate (KNbO3) nanofibers and polydimethylsiloxane. When a compressive force was applied to as-fabricated P-NG, a peak-to-peak output voltage of ˜16 V and a maximum closed circuit current of 230 nA were obtained, which are high enough to realize self-powered nanodevices. In addition, due to their porosity and non-toxic nature, KNbO3 nanofibers may be used as an alternative to the dominant lead-based piezoelectric devices. Besides the high output performance of the device, multifunctional capability, flexible design, and cost-effective construction of the as-fabricated P-NG can be crucial to large-scale deployment of autonomous devices.

Bottom-Up Tri-gate Transistors and Submicrosecond Photodetectors from Guided CdS Nanowalls.

PubMed

Xu, Jinyou; Oksenberg, Eitan; Popovitz-Biro, Ronit; Rechav, Katya; Joselevich, Ernesto

2017-11-08

Tri-gate transistors offer better performance than planar transistors by exerting additional gate control over a channel from two lateral sides of semiconductor nanowalls (or "fins"). Here we report the bottom-up assembly of aligned CdS nanowalls by a simultaneous combination of horizontal catalytic vapor-liquid-solid growth and vertical facet-selective noncatalytic vapor-solid growth and their parallel integration into tri-gate transistors and photodetectors at wafer scale (cm 2 ) without postgrowth transfer or alignment steps. These tri-gate transistors act as enhancement-mode transistors with an on/off current ratio on the order of 10 8 , 4 orders of magnitude higher than the best results ever reported for planar enhancement-mode CdS transistors. The response time of the photodetector is reduced to the submicrosecond level, 1 order of magnitude shorter than the best results ever reported for photodetectors made of bottom-up semiconductor nanostructures. Guided semiconductor nanowalls open new opportunities for high-performance 3D nanodevices assembled from the bottom up.

Controlling Defects in Graphene for Optimizing the Electrical Properties of Graphene Nanodevices

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Structural defects strongly impact the electrical transport properties of graphene nanostructures. In this Perspective, we give a brief overview of different types of defects in graphene and their effect on transport properties. We discuss recent experimental progress on graphene self-repair of defects, with a focus on in situ transmission electron microscopy studies. Finally, we present the outlook for graphene self-repair and in situ experiments. PMID:25864552

Localization noise in deep subwavelength plasmonic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghoreyshi, Ali; Victora, R. H.

2018-05-01

The grain shape dependence of absorption has been investigated in metal-insulator thin films. We demonstrate that randomness in the size and shape of plasmonic particles can lead to Anderson localization of polarization modes in the deep subwavelength regime. These localized modes can contribute to significant variation in the local field. In the case of plasmonic nanodevices, the effects of the localized modes have been investigated by mapping an electrostatic Hamiltonian onto the Anderson Hamiltonian in the presence of a random vector potential. We show that local behavior of the optical beam can be understood in terms of the weighted local density of the localized modes of the depolarization field. Optical nanodevices that operate on a length scale with high variation in the density of states of localized modes will experience a previously unidentified localized noise. This localization noise contributes uncertainty to the output of plasmonic nanodevices and limits their scalability. In particular, the resulting impact on heat-assisted magnetic recording is discussed.

Shape-Controlled Synthesis of High-Quality Cu7 S4 Nanocrystals for Efficient Light-Induced Water Evaporation.

PubMed

Zhang, Changbo; Yan, Cong; Xue, Zhenjie; Yu, Wei; Xie, Yinde; Wang, Tie

2016-10-01

Copper sulfides (Cu 2-x S), are a novel kind of photothermal material exhibiting significant photothermal conversion efficiency, making them very attractive in various energy conversion related devices. Preparing high quality uniform Cu 2-x S nanocrystals (NCs) is a top priority for further energy-and sustainability relevant nanodevices. Here, a shape-controlled high quality Cu 7 S 4 NCs synthesis strategy is reported using sulfur in 1-octadecene as precursor by varying the heating temperature, as well as its forming mechanism. The performance of the Cu 7 S 4 NCs is further explored for light-driven water evaporation without the need of heating the bulk liquid to the boiling point, and the results suggest that as-synthesized highly monodisperse NCs perform higher evaporation rate than polydisperse NCs under the identical morphology. Furthermore, disk-like NCs exhibit higher water evaporation rate than spherical NCs. The water evaporation rate can be further enhanced by assembling the organic phase Cu 7 S 4 NCs into a dense film on the aqueous solution surface. The maximum photothermal conversion efficiency is as high as 77.1%. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrochemical control of a DNA Holliday Junction nanoswitch by Mg2+ ions.

PubMed

Ferapontova, E E; Mountford, C P; Crain, J; Buck, A H; Dickinson, P; Beattie, J S; Ghazal, P; Terry, J G; Walton, A J; Mount, A R

2008-11-15

The molecular conformation of a synthetic branched, 4-way DNA Holliday junction (HJ) was electrochemically switched between the open and closed (stacked) conformers. Switching was achieved by electrochemically induced quantitative release of Mg(2+) ions from the oxidised poly(N-methylpyrrole) film (PPy), which contained polyacrylate as an immobile counter anion and Mg(2+) ions as charge compensating mobile cations. This increase in the Mg(2+) concentration screened the electrostatic repulsion between the widely separated arms in the open HJ configuration, inducing switching to the closed conformation. Upon electrochemical reduction of PPy, entrapment of Mg(2+) ions back into the PPy film induced the reverse HJ switching from the closed to open state. The conformational transition was monitored using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between donor and acceptor dyes each located at the terminus of one of the arms. The demonstrated electrochemical control of the conformation of the used probe-target HJ complex, previously reported as a highly sequence specific nanodevice for detecting of unlabelled target [Buck, A.H., Campbell, C.J., Dickinson, P., Mountford, C.P., Stoquert, H.C., Terry, J.G., Evans, S.A.G., Keane, L., Su, T.J., Mount, A.R., Walton, A.J., Beattie, J.S., Crain, J., Ghazal, P., 2007. Anal. Chem., 79, 4724-4728], allows the development of electronically addressable DNA nanodevices and label-free gene detection assays.

Nanoelectromechanical systems: Nanodevice motion at microwave frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henry Huang, Xue Ming; Zorman, Christian A.; Mehregany, Mehran; Roukes, Michael L.

2003-01-01

It has been almost forgotten that the first computers envisaged by Charles Babbage in the early 1800s were mechanical and not electronic, but the development of high-frequency nanoelectromechanical systems is now promising a range of new applications, including sensitive mechanical charge detectors and mechanical devices for high-frequency signal processing, biological imaging and quantum measurement. Here we describe the construction of nanodevices that will operate with fundamental frequencies in the previously inaccessible microwave range (greater than 1 gigahertz). This achievement represents a significant advance in the quest for extremely high-frequency nanoelectromechanical systems.

Size- and orientation-selective si nanowire growth: thermokinetic effects of nanoscale plasma chemistry.

PubMed

Mehdipour, Hamid; Ostrikov, Kostya Ken

2013-02-06

A multiscale, multiphase thermokinetic model is used to show the effective control of the growth orientation of thin Si NWs for nanoelectronic devices enabled by nanoscale plasma chemistry. It is shown that very thin Si NWs with [110] growth direction can nucleate at much lower process temperatures and pressures compared to thermal chemical vapor deposition where [111]-directed Si NWs are predominantly grown. These findings explain a host of experimental results and offer the possibility of energy- and matter-efficient, size- and orientation-controlled growth of [110] Si NWs for next-generation nanodevices.

Strain-modulated anisotropy of quantum transport properties in single-layer silicene: Spin and valley filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farokhnezhad, M.; Esmaeilzadeh, M.; Shakouri, Kh.

2017-11-01

Strained two-dimensional crystals often offer novel physical properties that are usable to improve their electronic performance. Here we show by the theory of elasticity combined with the tight-binding approximation that local strains in silicene can open up new prospects for generating fully polarized spin and valley currents. The trajectory of electrons flowing through locally strained regions obeys the same behavior as light waves propagating in uniaxial anisotropic materials. The refraction angle of electrons at local strain boundaries exhibits a strong dependence on the valley degree of freedom, allowing for valley filtering based on the strain direction. The ability to control the spin polarization direction additionally requires a perpendicular electric field to be involved in combination with the local strain. Further similarities of the problem with optics of anisotropic materials are elucidated and possible applications in spin- and valleytronic nanodevices are discussed.

A Novel Nanowire Assembly Process for the Fabrication of CO Sensor

PubMed Central

Cheng, Biyao; Yang, Shuming; Liu, Tao; Vazinishayan, Ali

2018-01-01

Nanowires have been widely studied due to their outstanding mechanical and electrical properties; however, their practical applications are limited to the lack of an effective technique for controlled assembly. In the present work, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire arrays were assembled via a combing process using a makeup brush and the nanodevice was fabricated. The current–voltage (I–V) and ultraviolet (UV) characteristics of the device indicate stable and repeatable electrical properties. The carbon monoxide (CO) sensing properties were tested at operating temperatures of 200, 300 and 400 °C. It was found that ZnO based sensor exhibited the highest sensitivity to CO at 300 °C due to the change of dominant oxygen species. Comparing with others result, the sensitivity of the fabricated sensor exhibits higher sensing performance. The sensing mechanism of the CO sensor is also discussed. PMID:29673203

A Novel Nanowire Assembly Process for the Fabrication of CO Sensor.

PubMed

Cheng, Biyao; Yang, Shuming; Liu, Tao; Vazinishayan, Ali

2018-04-17

Nanowires have been widely studied due to their outstanding mechanical and electrical properties; however, their practical applications are limited to the lack of an effective technique for controlled assembly. In the present work, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire arrays were assembled via a combing process using a makeup brush and the nanodevice was fabricated. The current–voltage (I–V) and ultraviolet (UV) characteristics of the device indicate stable and repeatable electrical properties. The carbon monoxide (CO) sensing properties were tested at operating temperatures of 200, 300 and 400 °C. It was found that ZnO based sensor exhibited the highest sensitivity to CO at 300 °C due to the change of dominant oxygen species. Comparing with others result, the sensitivity of the fabricated sensor exhibits higher sensing performance. The sensing mechanism of the CO sensor is also discussed.

Copper-palladium core-shell as an anode in a multi-fuel membraneless nanofluidic fuel cell: toward a new era of small energy conversion devices.

PubMed

Maya-Cornejo, J; Ortiz-Ortega, E; Álvarez-Contreras, L; Arjona, N; Guerra-Balcázar, M; Ledesma-García, J; Arriaga, L G

2015-02-14

A membraneless nanofluidic fuel cell with flow-through electrodes that works with several fuels (individually or mixed): methanol, ethanol, glycerol and ethylene-glycol in alkaline media is presented. For this application, an efficient Cu@Pd electrocatalyst was synthesized and tested, resulting outstanding performance until now reported, opening the possibility of power nano-devices for multi-uses purposes, regardless of fuel re-charge employed.

Solution-Processable High-Purity Semiconducting SWCNTs for Large-Area Fabrication of High-Performance Thin-Film Transistors.

PubMed

Gu, Jianting; Han, Jie; Liu, Dan; Yu, Xiaoqin; Kang, Lixing; Qiu, Song; Jin, Hehua; Li, Hongbo; Li, Qingwen; Zhang, Jin

2016-09-01

For the large-area fabrication of thin-film transistors (TFTs), a new conjugated polymer poly[9-(1-octylonoyl)-9H-carbazole-2,7-diyl] is developed to harvest ultrahigh-purity semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes. Combined with spectral and nanodevice characterization, the purity is estimated up to 99.9%. High density and uniform network formed by dip-coating process is liable to fabricate high-performance TFTs on a wafer-scale and the as-fabricated TFTs exhibit a high degree of uniformity. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Determining the folding and binding free energy of DNA-based nanodevices and nanoswitches using urea titration curves

PubMed Central

Idili, Andrea

2017-01-01

Abstract DNA nanotechnology takes advantage of the predictability of DNA interactions to build complex DNA-based functional nanoscale structures. However, when DNA functional and responsive units that are based on non-canonical DNA interactions are employed it becomes quite challenging to predict, understand and control their thermodynamics. In response to this limitation, here we demonstrate the use of isothermal urea titration experiments to estimate the free energy involved in a set of DNA-based systems ranging from unimolecular DNA-based nanoswitches to more complex DNA folds (e.g. aptamers) and nanodevices. We propose here a set of fitting equations that allow to analyze the urea titration curves of these DNA responsive units based on Watson–Crick and non-canonical interactions (stem-loop, G-quadruplex, triplex structures) and to correctly estimate their relative folding and binding free energy values under different experimental conditions. The results described herein will pave the way toward the use of urea titration experiments in the field of DNA nanotechnology to achieve easier and more reliable thermodynamic characterization of DNA-based functional responsive units. More generally, our results will be of general utility to characterize other complex supramolecular systems based on different biopolymers. PMID:28605461

Rotation motion of designed nano-turbine.

PubMed

Li, Jingyuan; Wang, Xiaofeng; Zhao, Lina; Gao, Xingfa; Zhao, Yuliang; Zhou, Ruhong

2014-07-28

Construction of nano-devices that can generate controllable unidirectional rotation is an important part of nanotechnology. Here, we design a nano-turbine composed of carbon nanotube and graphene nanoblades, which can be driven by fluid flow. Rotation motion of nano-turbine is quantitatively studied by molecular dynamics simulations on this model system. A robust linear relationship is achieved with this nano-turbine between its rotation rate and the fluid flow velocity spanning two orders of magnitude, and this linear relationship remains intact at various temperatures. More interestingly, a striking difference from its macroscopic counterpart is identified: the rotation rate is much smaller (by a factor of ~15) than that of the macroscopic turbine with the same driving flow. This discrepancy is shown to be related to the disruption of water flow at nanoscale, together with the water slippage at graphene surface and the so-called "dragging effect". Moreover, counterintuitively, the ratio of "effective" driving flow velocity increases as the flow velocity increases, suggesting that the linear dependence on the flow velocity can be more complicated in nature. These findings may serve as a foundation for the further development of rotary nano-devices and should also be helpful for a better understanding of the biological molecular motors.

A pH-independent DNA nanodevice for quantifying chloride transport in organelles of living cells.

PubMed

Saha, Sonali; Prakash, Ved; Halder, Saheli; Chakraborty, Kasturi; Krishnan, Yamuna

2015-07-01

The concentration of chloride ions in the cytoplasm and subcellular organelles of living cells spans a wide range (5-130 mM), and is tightly regulated by intracellular chloride channels or transporters. Chloride-sensitive protein reporters have been used to study the role of these chloride regulators, but they are limited to a small range of chloride concentrations and are pH-sensitive. Here, we show that a DNA nanodevice can precisely measure the activity and location of subcellular chloride channels and transporters in living cells in a pH-independent manner. The DNA nanodevice, called Clensor, is composed of sensing, normalizing and targeting modules, and is designed to localize within organelles along the endolysosomal pathway. It allows fluorescent, ratiometric sensing of chloride ions across the entire physiological regime. We used Clensor to quantitate the resting chloride concentration in the lumen of acidic organelles in Drosophila melanogaster. We showed that lumenal lysosomal chloride, which is implicated in various lysosomal storage diseases, is regulated by the intracellular chloride transporter DmClC-b.

A pH-independent DNA nanodevice for quantifying chloride transport in organelles of living cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Sonali; Prakash, Ved; Halder, Saheli; Chakraborty, Kasturi; Krishnan, Yamuna

2015-07-01

The concentration of chloride ions in the cytoplasm and subcellular organelles of living cells spans a wide range (5-130 mM), and is tightly regulated by intracellular chloride channels or transporters. Chloride-sensitive protein reporters have been used to study the role of these chloride regulators, but they are limited to a small range of chloride concentrations and are pH-sensitive. Here, we show that a DNA nanodevice can precisely measure the activity and location of subcellular chloride channels and transporters in living cells in a pH-independent manner. The DNA nanodevice, called Clensor, is composed of sensing, normalizing and targeting modules, and is designed to localize within organelles along the endolysosomal pathway. It allows fluorescent, ratiometric sensing of chloride ions across the entire physiological regime. We used Clensor to quantitate the resting chloride concentration in the lumen of acidic organelles in Drosophila melanogaster. We showed that lumenal lysosomal chloride, which is implicated in various lysosomal storage diseases, is regulated by the intracellular chloride transporter DmClC-b.

A micromachined piezoelectric microgripper for manipulation of micro/nanomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Huaduo; Shi, Weiliang; Zhang, Ran; Zhai, Junyi; Chu, Jinkui; Dong, Shuxiang

2017-06-01

Micro/nanomaterials and devices have attracted great interest in recent years because of their extensive application prospects in almost all kinds of fields. However, the manipulations of the material at the micro/nanoscale, such as the separation or transfer of a micro/nano-object in the process of assembling micro/nanodevices, are quite difficult. In this paper, we present a micromachined micro-gripper made of photoresist material (SU-8) and driven by piezoelectric Pb(Mg,Nb)O3-PbTiO3 single crystal pieces. In order to keep two grasping jaws of the micro-gripper operating in the same plane at the micro/nanometer scale, a fine circular flexure hinge was fabricated for elastically connecting them together. After introducing the interface effect, the relationship between the opening stroke of two jaws and the applied voltage was developed and then confirmed by finite element simulation. The micro-gripper was finally installed on a six degree of freedom stage for performing a pick-up, release, and transfer manipulation of a 2 μm ZnO micro-fiber. The presented piezoelectric micro-gripper shows a great potential for the precise manipulation of a single piece of micro/nanomaterial for micro/nanodevices' assembling.

In2O3 nanowire based field effect transistor for biological sensors.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Zhongming; Wang, Kai; Zhou, Weilie

2008-03-01

Semiconductor nanowires (NWs) are attracting considerable attention due to their nanoscale dimensions and enormous surface-to-volume ratios. Many applications have been demonstrated in toxic gas, protein, small molecule and viruses sensing because of their superior sensing performances. Indium oxide (In2O3) NWs have been successfully applied for toxic gas and small organic molecule sensing. In our experiment, In2O3 NWs based field effect transistors (FET) are fabricated for virus (Ricin) detections. Single-crystalline In2O3 NWs with diameters around 100 nm were synthesized by the thermal evaporation. The nanodevice based on In2O3 NWs bridges the source/drain electrodes with a channel length of ˜5 μm. Basic transport properties of devices were measured before biological detection. The I-V curves with the gate voltage Vg=0 shows good ohmic contact and the resistance is about 10 Mφ. The back-gate effect on the conductivity showed that In2O3 NW is working as n-type channel with obvious back-gate effect, which is much stronger than the reported results. The nanodevices used as virus detection will be also discussed.

Computational analysis of hydrogenated graphyne folding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenear, Christopher; Becton, Matthew; Wang, Xianqiao

2016-02-01

This letter employs molecular mechanics simulations to analyze the geometric changes of foreign-atom-doped graphyne. Simulation results show that higher the density of dopant and the greater area covered by the dopant correlates to a greater folding angle of the graphyne sheet. Compared to graphene, graphyne folding could prove to be more effective for various nanodevices based on its unique band gap, especially when doped, and its tunable interactions with and absorption of foreign molecules. Therefore, our findings may offer unique perspectives into the development of novel graphyne-based nanodevices and stimulate the community's research interest in graphene-related origami.

Skyrmion-based multi-channel racetrack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Chengkun; Jin, Chendong; Wang, Jinshuai; Xia, Haiyan; Wang, Jianbo; Liu, Qingfang

2017-11-01

Magnetic skyrmions are promising for the application of racetrack memories, logic gates, and other nano-devices, owing to their topologically protected stability, small size, and low driving current. In this work, we propose a skyrmion-based multi-channel racetrack memory where the skyrmion moves in the selected channel by applying voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy gates. It is demonstrated numerically that a current-dependent skyrmion Hall effect can be restrained by the additional potential of the voltage-controlled region, and the skyrmion velocity and moving channel in the racetrack can be operated by tuning the voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy, gate position, and current density. Our results offer a potential application of racetrack memory based on skyrmions.

Nanowire growth process modeling and reliability models for nanodevices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fathi Aghdam, Faranak

Nowadays, nanotechnology is becoming an inescapable part of everyday life. The big barrier in front of its rapid growth is our incapability of producing nanoscale materials in a reliable and cost-effective way. In fact, the current yield of nano-devices is very low (around 10 %), which makes fabrications of nano-devices very expensive and uncertain. To overcome this challenge, the first and most important step is to investigate how to control nano-structure synthesis variations. The main directions of reliability research in nanotechnology can be classified either from a material perspective or from a device perspective. The first direction focuses on restructuring materials and/or optimizing process conditions at the nano-level (nanomaterials). The other direction is linked to nano-devices and includes the creation of nano-electronic and electro-mechanical systems at nano-level architectures by taking into account the reliability of future products. In this dissertation, we have investigated two topics on both nano-materials and nano-devices. In the first research work, we have studied the optimization of one of the most important nanowire growth processes using statistical methods. Research on nanowire growth with patterned arrays of catalyst has shown that the wire-to-wire spacing is an important factor affecting the quality of resulting nanowires. To improve the process yield and the length uniformity of fabricated nanowires, it is important to reduce the resource competition between nanowires during the growth process. We have proposed a physical-statistical nanowire-interaction model considering the shadowing effect and shared substrate diffusion area to determine the optimal pitch that would ensure the minimum competition between nanowires. A sigmoid function is used in the model, and the least squares estimation method is used to estimate the model parameters. The estimated model is then used to determine the optimal spatial arrangement of catalyst arrays. This work is an early attempt that uses a physical-statistical modeling approach to studying selective nanowire growth for the improvement of process yield. In the second research work, the reliability of nano-dielectrics is investigated. As electronic devices get smaller, reliability issues pose new challenges due to unknown underlying physics of failure (i.e., failure mechanisms and modes). This necessitates new reliability analysis approaches related to nano-scale devices. One of the most important nano-devices is the transistor that is subject to various failure mechanisms. Dielectric breakdown is known to be the most critical one and has become a major barrier for reliable circuit design in nano-scale. Due to the need for aggressive downscaling of transistors, dielectric films are being made extremely thin, and this has led to adopting high permittivity (k) dielectrics as an alternative to widely used SiO2 in recent years. Since most time-dependent dielectric breakdown test data on bilayer stacks show significant deviations from a Weibull trend, we have proposed two new approaches to modeling the time to breakdown of bi-layer high-k dielectrics. In the first approach, we have used a marked space-time self-exciting point process to model the defect generation rate. A simulation algorithm is used to generate defects within the dielectric space, and an optimization algorithm is employed to minimize the Kullback-Leibler divergence between the empirical distribution obtained from the real data and the one based on the simulated data to find the best parameter values and to predict the total time to failure. The novelty of the presented approach lies in using a conditional intensity for trap generation in dielectric that is a function of time, space and size of the previous defects. In addition, in the second approach, a k-out-of-n system framework is proposed to estimate the total failure time after the generation of more than one soft breakdown.

Remote control of nanoscale devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Högberg, Björn

2018-01-01

Processes that occur at the nanometer scale have a tremendous impact on our daily lives. Sophisticated evolved nanomachines operate in each of our cells; we also, as a society, increasingly rely on synthetic nanodevices for communication and computation. Scientists are still only beginning to master this scale, but, recently, DNA nanotechnology (1)—in particular, DNA origami (2)—has emerged as a powerful tool to build structures precise enough to help us do so. On page 296 of this issue, Kopperger et al. (3) show that they are now also able to control the motion of a DNA origami device from the outside by applying electric fields.

Optically controllable nanobreaking of metallic nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Lina; Lu, Jinsheng; Yang, Hangbo; Luo, Si; Wang, Wei; Lv, Jun; Qiu, Min; Li, Qiang

2017-02-01

Nanobreaking of nanowires has shown its necessity for manufacturing integrated nanodevices as nanojoining does. In this letter, we develop a method for breaking gold pentagonal nanowires by taking advantage of the photothermal effect with a 532 nm continuous-wave (CW) laser. The critical power required for nanobreaking is much lower for perpendicular polarization than that for parallel polarization. By controlling the polarization and the power of the irradiation light for nanobreaking, the nanowires can be cut into segments with gap widths ranging from dozens of nanometers to several micrometers. This CW light-induced single point nanobreaking of metallic nanowires provides a highly useful and promising method in constructing nanosystems.

Predicting the stability of nanodevices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Z. Z.; Yu, W. F.; Wang, Y.; Ning, X. J.

2011-05-01

A simple model based on the statistics of single atoms is developed to predict the stability or lifetime of nanodevices without empirical parameters. Under certain conditions, the model produces the Arrhenius law and the Meyer-Neldel compensation rule. Compared with the classical molecular-dynamics simulations for predicting the stability of monatomic carbon chain at high temperature, the model is proved to be much more accurate than the transition state theory. Based on the ab initio calculation of the static potential, the model can give out a corrected lifetime of monatomic carbon and gold chains at higher temperature, and predict that the monatomic chains are very stable at room temperature.

Conceptual Design of a Nano-Networking Device

PubMed Central

Canovas-Carrasco, Sebastian; Garcia-Sanchez, Antonio-Javier; Garcia-Sanchez, Felipe; Garcia-Haro, Joan

2016-01-01

Nanotechnology is an emerging scientific area whose advances, among many others, have a positive direct impact on the miniaturization of electronics. This unique technology enables the possibility to design and build electronic components as well as complete devices (called nanomachines or nanodevices) at the nano scale. A nanodevice is expected to be an essential element able to operate in a nanonetwork, where a huge number of them would coordinate to acquire data, process the information gathered, and wirelessly transmit those data to end-points providing innovative services in many key scenarios, such as the human body or the environment. This paper is aimed at studying the feasibility of this type of device by carefully examining their main component parts, namely the nanoprocessor, nanomemory, nanoantenna, and nanogenerator. To this end, a thorough state-of-the-art review is conveyed to discuss, substantiate, and select the most suitable current technology (commercial or pre-commercial) for each component. Then, we further contribute by developing a complete conceptual nanodevice layout taking into consideration its ultra-small size (similar to a blood cell) and its very restricted capabilities (e.g., processing, memory storage, telecommunication, and energy management). The required resources as well as the power consumption are realistically estimated. PMID:27973430

High-Resolution Crystal Structure of a Silver(I)-RNA Hybrid Duplex Containing Watson-Crick-like C-Silver(I)-C Metallo-Base Pairs.

PubMed

Kondo, Jiro; Tada, Yoshinari; Dairaku, Takenori; Saneyoshi, Hisao; Okamoto, Itaru; Tanaka, Yoshiyuki; Ono, Akira

2015-11-02

Metallo-base pairs have been extensively studied for applications in nucleic acid-based nanodevices and genetic code expansion. Metallo-base pairs composed of natural nucleobases are attractive because nanodevices containing natural metallo-base pairs can be easily prepared from commercially available sources. Previously, we have reported a crystal structure of a DNA duplex containing T-Hg(II)-T base pairs. Herein, we have determined a high-resolution crystal structure of the second natural metallo-base pair between pyrimidine bases C-Ag(I)-C formed in an RNA duplex. One Ag(I) occupies the center between two cytosines and forms a C-Ag(I)-C base pair through N3-Ag(I)-N3 linear coordination. The C-Ag(I)-C base pair formation does not disturb the standard A-form conformation of RNA. Since the C-Ag(I)-C base pair is structurally similar to the canonical Watson-Crick base pairs, it can be a useful building block for structure-based design and fabrication of nucleic acid-based nanodevices. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Conceptual Design of a Nano-Networking Device.

PubMed

Canovas-Carrasco, Sebastian; Garcia-Sanchez, Antonio-Javier; Garcia-Sanchez, Felipe; Garcia-Haro, Joan

2016-12-11

Nanotechnology is an emerging scientific area whose advances, among many others, have a positive direct impact on the miniaturization of electronics. This unique technology enables the possibility to design and build electronic components as well as complete devices (called nanomachines or nanodevices) at the nano scale. A nanodevice is expected to be an essential element able to operate in a nanonetwork, where a huge number of them would coordinate to acquire data, process the information gathered, and wirelessly transmit those data to end-points providing innovative services in many key scenarios, such as the human body or the environment. This paper is aimed at studying the feasibility of this type of device by carefully examining their main component parts, namely the nanoprocessor, nanomemory, nanoantenna, and nanogenerator. To this end, a thorough state-of-the-art review is conveyed to discuss, substantiate, and select the most suitable current technology (commercial or pre-commercial) for each component. Then, we further contribute by developing a complete conceptual nanodevice layout taking into consideration its ultra-small size (similar to a blood cell) and its very restricted capabilities (e.g., processing, memory storage, telecommunication, and energy management). The required resources as well as the power consumption are realistically estimated.

CHAIRMAN'S FOREWORD: First International Symposium on Advanced Nanodevices and Nanotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoyagi, Yoshinobu; Goodnick, Stephen M.

2008-03-01

This volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series contains selected papers from the First International Symposium on Advanced Nanodevices and Nanotechnology. This conference is a merging of the two previous series New Phenomena in Mesoscopic Structures and the Surfaces and Interfaces of Mesoscopic Devices. This year's conference was held 2-7 December 2007 at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott on the Kohala coast of the big island of Hawaii. The scope of ISANN spans nano-fabrication through complex phase coherent mesoscopic systems including nano-transistors and nano-scale characterization. Topics of interest included: Nano-scale fabrication (high-resolution electron lithography, FIB nano-patterning SFM lithography, SFM stimulated growth, novel patterning, nano-imprint lithography, special etching, and SAMs) Nano-characterization (SFM characterization, BEEM, optical studies of nanostructures, tunneling, properties of discrete impurities, phase coherence, noise, THz studies, electro-luminescence in small structures) Nano-devices (ultra-scaled FETs, quantum SETs, RTDs, ferromagnetic, and spin devices, superlattice arrays, IR detectors with quantum dots and wires, quantum point contacts, non-equilibrium transport, simulation, ballistic transport, molecular electronic devices, carbon nanotubes, spin selection devices, spin-coupled quantum dots, nano-magnetics) Quantum coherent transport (quantum Hall effect, ballistic quantum systems, quantum computing implementations and theory, magnetic spin systems, quantum NEMs) Mesoscopic structures (quantum wires and dots, chaos, non-equilibrium transport, instabilities, nano-electro-mechanical systems, mesoscopic Josephson effects, phase coherence and breaking, Kondo effect) Systems of nano-devices (QCAs, systolic SET processors, quantum neural nets, adaptive effects in circuits, molecular circuits, NEMs) Nanomaterials (nanotubes, nanowires, organic and molecular materials, self-assembled nanowires, organic devices) Nano-bio-electronics (electronic properties of biological structures on the nanoscale) We were very pleased and honored to have the opportunity to organize the first International Symposium on Advanced Nanodevices and Nanotechnology. The conference benefited from 14 invited speakers, whose topics spanned the above list, and a total of 90 registered attendees. The largest contingent was from Japan, followed closely by the USA. We wish to particularly thank the sponsors for the meeting: Arizona State University on the US side, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, through their 151 Committee, on the Japanese side. We would also like to thank Dr Koji Ishibashi, of RIKEN, for his assistance in the organization of the conference, and Professor David K Ferry for serving as the Editor for the ISANN Proceedings. Yoshinobu Aoyagi and Stephen M Goodnick Conference Co-Chairs

Control and gating of kinesin-microtubule motility on electrically heated thermo-chips.

PubMed

Ramsey, Laurence; Schroeder, Viktor; van Zalinge, Harm; Berndt, Michael; Korten, Till; Diez, Stefan; Nicolau, Dan V

2014-06-01

First lab-on-chip devices based on active transport by biomolecular motors have been demonstrated for basic detection and sorting applications. However, to fully employ the advantages of such hybrid nanotechnology, versatile spatial and temporal control mechanisms are required. Using a thermo-responsive polymer, we demonstrated a temperature controlled gate that either allows or disallows the passing of microtubules through a topographically defined channel. The gate is addressed by a narrow gold wire, which acts as a local heating element. It is shown that the electrical current flowing through a narrow gold channel can control the local temperature and as a result the conformation of the polymer. This is the first demonstration of a spatially addressable gate for microtubule motility which is a key element of nanodevices based on biomolecular motors.

Graphene-polymer hybrid nanostructure-based bioenergy storage device for real-time control of biological motor activity.

PubMed

Byun, Kyung-Eun; Choi, Dong Shin; Kim, Eunji; Seo, David H; Yang, Heejun; Seo, Sunae; Hong, Seunghun

2011-11-22

We report a graphene-polymer hybrid nanostructure-based bioenergy storage device to turn on and off biomotor activity in real-time. In this strategy, graphene was functionalized with amine groups and utilized as a transparent electrode supporting the motility of biomotors. Conducting polymer patterns doped with adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were fabricated on the graphene and utilized for the fast release of ATP by electrical stimuli through the graphene. The controlled release of biomotor fuel, ATP, allowed us to control the actin filament transportation propelled by the biomotor in real-time. This strategy should enable the integrated nanodevices for the real-time control of biological motors, which can be a significant stepping stone toward hybrid nanomechanical systems based on motor proteins. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Anomalous electron collimation in HgTe quantum wells with inverted band structure.

PubMed

Zou, Y L; Zhang, L B; Song, J T

2013-02-20

We investigate the electron collimation behavior in HgTe quantum wells (QWs) with a magnetic-electric barrier induced by a ferromagnetic metal stripe. We find that electrons can transmit perfectly through the magnetic-electric barrier at some specific incidence angles. These angles can be controlled by the tuning gate voltage, local magnetic field and Fermi energy of incident electrons in QWs with appropriate barrier length. This collimation feature can be used to construct momentum filters in HgTe QWs and has potential application in nanodevices.

Casimir switch: steering optical transparency with vacuum forces.

PubMed

Liu, Xi-Fang; Li, Yong; Jing, H

2016-06-03

The Casimir force, originating from vacuum zero-point energy, is one of the most intriguing purely quantum effects. It has attracted renewed interests in current field of nanomechanics, due to the rapid size decrease of on-chip devices. Here we study the optomechanically-induced transparency (OMIT) with a tunable Casimir force. We find that the optical output rate can be significantly altered by the vacuum force, even terminated and then restored, indicating a highly-controlled optical switch. Our result addresses the possibility of designing exotic optical nano-devices by harnessing the power of vacuum.

Rotation Motion of Designed Nano-Turbine

PubMed Central

Li, Jingyuan; Wang, Xiaofeng; Zhao, Lina; Gao, Xingfa; Zhao, Yuliang; Zhou, Ruhong

2014-01-01

Construction of nano-devices that can generate controllable unidirectional rotation is an important part of nanotechnology. Here, we design a nano-turbine composed of carbon nanotube and graphene nanoblades, which can be driven by fluid flow. Rotation motion of nano-turbine is quantitatively studied by molecular dynamics simulations on this model system. A robust linear relationship is achieved with this nano-turbine between its rotation rate and the fluid flow velocity spanning two orders of magnitude, and this linear relationship remains intact at various temperatures. More interestingly, a striking difference from its macroscopic counterpart is identified: the rotation rate is much smaller (by a factor of ~15) than that of the macroscopic turbine with the same driving flow. This discrepancy is shown to be related to the disruption of water flow at nanoscale, together with the water slippage at graphene surface and the so-called “dragging effect”. Moreover, counterintuitively, the ratio of “effective” driving flow velocity increases as the flow velocity increases, suggesting that the linear dependence on the flow velocity can be more complicated in nature. These findings may serve as a foundation for the further development of rotary nano-devices and should also be helpful for a better understanding of the biological molecular motors. PMID:25068725

Metal Catalyst for Low-Temperature Growth of Controlled Zinc Oxide Nanowires on Arbitrary Substrates

PubMed Central

Kim, Baek Hyun; Kwon, Jae W.

2014-01-01

Zinc oxide nanowires generated by hydrothermal method present superior physical and chemical characteristics. Quality control of the growth has been very challenging and controlled growth is only achievable under very limited conditions using homogeneous seed layers with high temperature processes. Here we show the controlled ZnO nanowire growth on various organic and inorganic materials without the requirement of a homogeneous seed layer and a high temperature process. We also report the discovery of an important role of the electronegativity in the nanowire growth on arbitrary substrates. Using heterogeneous metal oxide interlayers with low-temperature hydrothermal methods, we demonstrate well-controlled ZnO nanowire arrays and single nanowires on flat or curved surfaces. A metal catalyst and heterogeneous metal oxide interlayers are found to determine lattice-match with ZnO and to largely influence the controlled alignment. These findings will contribute to the development of novel nanodevices using controlled nanowires. PMID:24625584

Suspending effect on low-frequency charge noise in graphene quantum dot.

PubMed

Song, Xiang-Xiang; Li, Hai-Ou; You, Jie; Han, Tian-Yi; Cao, Gang; Tu, Tao; Xiao, Ming; Guo, Guang-Can; Jiang, Hong-Wen; Guo, Guo-Ping

2015-01-30

Charge noise is critical in the performance of gate-controlled quantum dots (QDs). Such information is not yet available for QDs made out of the new material graphene, where both substrate and edge states are known to have important effects. Here we show the 1/f noise for a microscopic graphene QD is substantially larger than that for a macroscopic graphene field-effect transistor (FET), increasing linearly with temperature. To understand its origin, we suspended the graphene QD above the substrate. In contrast to large area graphene FETs, we find that a suspended graphene QD has an almost-identical noise level as an unsuspended one. Tracking noise levels around the Coulomb blockade peak as a function of gate voltage yields potential fluctuations of order 1 μeV, almost one order larger than in GaAs/GaAlAs QDs. Edge states and surface impurities rather than substrate-induced disorders, appear to dominate the 1/f noise, thus affecting the coherency of graphene nano-devices.

Suspending Effect on Low-Frequency Charge Noise in Graphene Quantum Dot

PubMed Central

Song, Xiang-Xiang; Li, Hai-Ou; You, Jie; Han, Tian-Yi; Cao, Gang; Tu, Tao; Xiao, Ming; Guo, Guang-Can; Jiang, Hong-Wen; Guo, Guo-Ping

2015-01-01

Charge noise is critical in the performance of gate-controlled quantum dots (QDs). Such information is not yet available for QDs made out of the new material graphene, where both substrate and edge states are known to have important effects. Here we show the 1/f noise for a microscopic graphene QD is substantially larger than that for a macroscopic graphene field-effect transistor (FET), increasing linearly with temperature. To understand its origin, we suspended the graphene QD above the substrate. In contrast to large area graphene FETs, we find that a suspended graphene QD has an almost-identical noise level as an unsuspended one. Tracking noise levels around the Coulomb blockade peak as a function of gate voltage yields potential fluctuations of order 1 μeV, almost one order larger than in GaAs/GaAlAs QDs. Edge states and surface impurities rather than substrate-induced disorders, appear to dominate the 1/f noise, thus affecting the coherency of graphene nano-devices. PMID:25634250

Electronic and optoelectronic nano-devices based on carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Scarselli, M; Castrucci, P; De Crescenzi, M

2012-08-08

The discovery and understanding of nanoscale phenomena and the assembly of nanostructures into different devices are among the most promising fields of material science research. In this scenario, carbon nanostructures have a special role since, in having only one chemical element, they allow physical properties to be calculated with high precision for comparison with experiment. Carbon nanostructures, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in particular, have such remarkable electronic and structural properties that they are used as active building blocks for a large variety of nanoscale devices. We review here the latest advances in research involving carbon nanotubes as active components in electronic and optoelectronic nano-devices. Opportunities for future research are also identified.

Low-frequency noise in multilayer MoS2 field-effect transistors: the effect of high-k passivation.

PubMed

Na, Junhong; Joo, Min-Kyu; Shin, Minju; Huh, Junghwan; Kim, Jae-Sung; Piao, Mingxing; Jin, Jun-Eon; Jang, Ho-Kyun; Choi, Hyung Jong; Shim, Joon Hyung; Kim, Gyu-Tae

2014-01-07

Diagnosing of the interface quality and the interactions between insulators and semiconductors is significant to achieve the high performance of nanodevices. Herein, low-frequency noise (LFN) in mechanically exfoliated multilayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) (~11.3 nm-thick) field-effect transistors with back-gate control was characterized with and without an Al2O3 high-k passivation layer. The carrier number fluctuation (CNF) model associated with trapping/detrapping the charge carriers at the interface nicely described the noise behavior in the strong accumulation regime both with and without the Al2O3 passivation layer. The interface trap density at the MoS2-SiO2 interface was extracted from the LFN analysis, and estimated to be Nit ~ 10(10) eV(-1) cm(-2) without and with the passivation layer. This suggested that the accumulation channel induced by the back-gate was not significantly influenced by the passivation layer. The Hooge mobility fluctuation (HMF) model implying the bulk conduction was found to describe the drain current fluctuations in the subthreshold regime, which is rarely observed in other nanodevices, attributed to those extremely thin channel sizes. In the case of the thick-MoS2 (~40 nm-thick) without the passivation, the HMF model was clearly observed all over the operation regime, ensuring the existence of the bulk conduction in multilayer MoS2. With the Al2O3 passivation layer, the change in the noise behavior was explained from the point of formation of the additional top channel in the MoS2 because of the fixed charges in the Al2O3. The interface trap density from the additional CNF model was Nit = 1.8 × 10(12) eV(-1) cm(-2) at the MoS2-Al2O3 interface.

Controlled electromigration protocol revised

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zharinov, Vyacheslav S.; Baumans, Xavier D. A.; Silhanek, Alejandro V.; Janssens, Ewald; Van de Vondel, Joris

2018-04-01

Electromigration has evolved from an important cause of failure in electronic devices to an appealing method, capable of modifying the material properties and geometry of nanodevices. Although this technique has been successfully used by researchers to investigate low dimensional systems and nanoscale objects, its low controllability remains a serious limitation. This is in part due to the inherent stochastic nature of the process, but also due to the inappropriate identification of the relevant control parameters. In this study, we identify a suitable process variable and propose a novel control algorithm that enhances the controllability and, at the same time, minimizes the intervention of an operator. As a consequence, the algorithm facilitates the application of electromigration to systems that require exceptional control of, for example, the width of a narrow junction. It is demonstrated that the electromigration rate can be stabilized on pre-set values, which eventually defines the final geometry of the electromigrated structures.

Controllable Thermal Rectification Realized in Binary Phase Change Composites

PubMed Central

Chen, Renjie; Cui, Yalong; Tian, He; Yao, Ruimin; Liu, Zhenpu; Shu, Yi; Li, Cheng; Yang, Yi; Ren, Tianling; Zhang, Gang; Zou, Ruqiang

2015-01-01

Phase transition is a natural phenomenon happened around our daily life, represented by the process from ice to water. While melting and solidifying at a certain temperature, a high heat of fusion is accompanied, classified as the latent heat. Phase change material (PCM) has been widely applied to store and release large amount of energy attributed to the distinctive thermal behavior. Here, with the help of nanoporous materials, we introduce a general strategy to achieve the binary eicosane/PEG4000 stuffed reduced graphene oxide aerogels, which has two ends with different melting points. It's successfully demonstrated this binary PCM composites exhibits thermal rectification characteristic. Partial phase transitions within porous networks instantaneously result in one end of the thermal conductivity saltation at a critical temperature, and therefore switch on or off the thermal rectification with the coefficient up to 1.23. This value can be further raised by adjusting the loading content of PCM. The uniqueness of this device lies in its performance as a normal thermal conductor at low temperature, only exhibiting rectification phenomenon when temperature is higher than a critical value. The stated technology has broad applications for thermal energy control in macroscopic scale such as energy-efficiency building or nanodevice thermal management. PMID:25748640

Controllable Thermal Rectification Realized in Binary Phase Change Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Renjie; Cui, Yalong; Tian, He; Yao, Ruimin; Liu, Zhenpu; Shu, Yi; Li, Cheng; Yang, Yi; Ren, Tianling; Zhang, Gang; Zou, Ruqiang

2015-03-01

Phase transition is a natural phenomenon happened around our daily life, represented by the process from ice to water. While melting and solidifying at a certain temperature, a high heat of fusion is accompanied, classified as the latent heat. Phase change material (PCM) has been widely applied to store and release large amount of energy attributed to the distinctive thermal behavior. Here, with the help of nanoporous materials, we introduce a general strategy to achieve the binary eicosane/PEG4000 stuffed reduced graphene oxide aerogels, which has two ends with different melting points. It's successfully demonstrated this binary PCM composites exhibits thermal rectification characteristic. Partial phase transitions within porous networks instantaneously result in one end of the thermal conductivity saltation at a critical temperature, and therefore switch on or off the thermal rectification with the coefficient up to 1.23. This value can be further raised by adjusting the loading content of PCM. The uniqueness of this device lies in its performance as a normal thermal conductor at low temperature, only exhibiting rectification phenomenon when temperature is higher than a critical value. The stated technology has broad applications for thermal energy control in macroscopic scale such as energy-efficiency building or nanodevice thermal management.

Nanomagnetism study of highly-ordered iron oxide nanocrystal assemblies fabricated by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique.

PubMed

Zhang, HaiTao; Bao, NiNa; Yuan, Du; Ding, Jun

2013-09-21

Iron oxide nanocrystals are ideal building blocks for the construction of flexible nanodevices whose performance can be modulated by controlling the morphology of isolated particles and their organizational form. This work demonstrates the fabrication of high quality Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) nanocrystal assemblies with limited overlapping and higher coverage by systemically and combinatorially optimizing the parameters of compression pressure and quantity of spread nanocrystals. Monodispersed iron oxide nanocrystals with a diameter of 11.8 nm were synthesized by thermal decomposition of Fe(CO)5 in trioctylamine with the presence of oleic acid. Multilayer nanocrystal assemblies were obtained through a layer-by-layer (LBL) process by repeating the transfer procedure after their hydrophilicity had been improved via treatment in a UV-ozone oven. The quality of nanocrystal assemblies was investigated by UV-vis spectrometry and scanning electron microscopy. The nanomagnetism for the nanostructures of different combination manners was studied systemically by a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). A lower superparamagnetic blocking temperature was found in the monolayer Fe3O4 nanocrystal assembly. The superparamagnetic blocking temperature in magnetic nanocrystal assemblies could be tuned through modifying the interparticle interactions among the interlayer and intralayers by controlling the layer number of the assemblies.

Mechanical properties of hollow and water-filled graphyne nanotube and carbon nanotube hybrid structure.

PubMed

Lei, Guangping; Zhang, Yayun; Liu, Hantao; Song, Fenhong

2018-05-11

By performing molecular dynamics simulations, a GNT/CNT hybrid structure constructed via combing (6, 6) graphyne nanotube (GNT) with (6, 6) carbon nanotube (CNT) has been designed and investigated. The mechanical properties induced by the percentage of GNT, water content and electric field were examined. Calculation results reveal that the fracture strain and strength of hollow hybrid structure are remarkably smaller than that of perfect (6, 6) CNT. In addition, the Young's modulus decreases monotonously with the increase of percentage of GNT. More importantly, the tunable mechanical properties of hybrid structure can be achieved through filling with water molecules and applying an electric field along tensile direction. Specifically, increasing water content from 0.0 to 8.70 mmol g -1 in the absence of electric field could result in fracture strain and strength reducing by 15.09% and 12.87%, respectively. Besides, enhancing fracture strain and strength of water-filled hybrid structure with water content of 8.70 mmol g -1 can also be obtained with rising electric field intensity. These findings would provide a valuable theoretical basis for designing and fabricating a nanodevice with controllable mechanical performances.

Mechanical properties of hollow and water-filled graphyne nanotube and carbon nanotube hybrid structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Guangping; Zhang, Yayun; Liu, Hantao; Song, Fenhong

2018-05-01

By performing molecular dynamics simulations, a GNT/CNT hybrid structure constructed via combing (6, 6) graphyne nanotube (GNT) with (6, 6) carbon nanotube (CNT) has been designed and investigated. The mechanical properties induced by the percentage of GNT, water content and electric field were examined. Calculation results reveal that the fracture strain and strength of hollow hybrid structure are remarkably smaller than that of perfect (6, 6) CNT. In addition, the Young’s modulus decreases monotonously with the increase of percentage of GNT. More importantly, the tunable mechanical properties of hybrid structure can be achieved through filling with water molecules and applying an electric field along tensile direction. Specifically, increasing water content from 0.0 to 8.70 mmol g-1 in the absence of electric field could result in fracture strain and strength reducing by 15.09% and 12.87%, respectively. Besides, enhancing fracture strain and strength of water-filled hybrid structure with water content of 8.70 mmol g-1 can also be obtained with rising electric field intensity. These findings would provide a valuable theoretical basis for designing and fabricating a nanodevice with controllable mechanical performances.

Tuning the electrical transport of type II Weyl semimetal WTe2 nanodevices by Mo doping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Dongzhi; Pan, Xingchen; Bai, Zhanbin; Fei, Fucong; Umana-Membreno, Gilberto A.; Song, Honglian; Wang, Xuelin; Wang, Baigeng; Song, Fengqi

2018-04-01

We fabricated nanodevices from MoxW1-xTe2 (x = 0, 0.07, 0.35), and conducted a systematic comparative study of their electrical transport. Magnetoresistance measurements show that Mo doping can significantly suppress mobility and magnetoresistance. The results for the analysis of the two band model show that doping with Mo does not break the carrier balance. Through analysis of Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, we found that Mo doping also has a strong suppressive effect on the quantum oscillation of the sample, and the higher the ratio of Mo, the fewer pockets were observed in our experiments. Furthermore, the effective mass of electron and hole increases gradually with increasing Mo ratio, while the corresponding quantum mobility decreases rapidly.

Raman spectra of bilayer graphene covered with Poly(methyl methacrylate) thin film

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xia Minggang; Center on Experimental Physics, School of Science, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 710049; Su Zhidan

The Raman spectra of bilayer graphene covered with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were investigated. Both the G and 2D peaks of PMMA-coated graphene were stiff and broad compared with those of uncovered graphene. This could be attributed to the residual strain induced by high-temperature baking during fabrication of the nanodevice. Furthermore, the two 2D peaks stiffened and broadened with increasing laser power, which is just the reverse to uncovered graphene. The stiffness is likely caused by graphene compression induced by the circular bubble of the thin PMMA film generated by laser irradiation. Our findings may contribute to the application of PMMAmore » in the strain engineering of graphene nanodevices.« less

Spin-valleytronics of silicene based nanodevices (SBNs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Ibrahim Sayed; Asham, Mina Danial; Phillips, Adel Helmy

2018-06-01

The quantum spin and valley characteristics in normal silicene/ferromagnetic silicene/normal silicene junction are investigated under the effects of both electric field and the exchange field of the ferromagnetic silicene. The spin resolved conductance and valley resolved conductance are deduced by solving the Dirac equation. Results show resonant oscillations of both spin and valley conductance. These oscillations might be due to confined states of ferromagnetic silicene. The spin and valley polarizations are also computed. Their trends of figures show that they might be tuned and modulated by the electric field and the exchange field of the ferromagnetic silicene. The present investigated silicene nanodevice might be good for spin-valleytronics applications which are needed for quantum information processing and quantum logic circuits.

Interplay between Switching Driven by the Tunneling Current and Atomic Force of a Bistable Four-Atom Si Quantum Dot.

PubMed

Yamazaki, Shiro; Maeda, Keisuke; Sugimoto, Yoshiaki; Abe, Masayuki; Zobač, Vladimír; Pou, Pablo; Rodrigo, Lucia; Mutombo, Pingo; Pérez, Ruben; Jelínek, Pavel; Morita, Seizo

2015-07-08

We assemble bistable silicon quantum dots consisting of four buckled atoms (Si4-QD) using atom manipulation. We demonstrate two competing atom switching mechanisms, downward switching induced by tunneling current of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and opposite upward switching induced by atomic force of atomic force microscopy (AFM). Simultaneous application of competing current and force allows us to tune switching direction continuously. Assembly of the few-atom Si-QDs and controlling their states using versatile combined AFM/STM will contribute to further miniaturization of nanodevices.

Nanogap structures for molecular nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Motto, Paolo; Dimonte, Alice; Rattalino, Ismael; Demarchi, Danilo; Piccinini, Gianluca; Civera, Pierluigi

2012-02-09

This study is focused on the realization of nanodevices for nano and molecular electronics, based on molecular interactions in a metal-molecule-metal (M-M-M) structure. In an M-M-M system, the electronic function is a property of the structure and can be characterized through I/V measurements. The contact between the metals and the molecule was obtained by gold nanogaps (with a dimension of less than 10 nm), produced with the electromigration technique. The nanogap fabrication was controlled by a custom hardware and the related software system. The studies were carried out through experiments and simulations of organic molecules, in particular oligothiophenes.

Higher-order structures assembly of gold nanorods caused by captopril in high ionic strength solutions.

PubMed

Shen, Sufen; Zhao, Huawen; Huang, Chengzhi; Wu, Liping

2010-02-01

The ability to construct self-assembled architectures is essential for the exploration of nanoparticle-structured properties. It is one of good strategies by employing molecule-modificated nanoparticles to prepare new materials with particular properties. Herein, we found that captopril (Cap), a biocompatible medicament, could adjust and control the formation of self-assembled gold nanorods (Au-NRs) in high ionic strength solutions. The assembly is in higher-order structures containing both end-to-end and side-by-side orientations. Furthermore, these structures of Au-NRs could be served as plasmonic waveguide in future biological nanodevices.

Drug nano-reservoirs synthesized using layer-by-layer technologies.

PubMed

Costa, Rui R; Alatorre-Meda, Manuel; Mano, João F

2015-11-01

The pharmaceutical industry has been able to tackle the emergence of new microorganisms and diseases by synthesizing new specialized drugs to counter them. Their administration must ensure that a drug is effectively encapsulated and protected until it reaches its target, and that it is released in a controlled way. Herein, the potential of layer-by-layer (LbL) structures to act as drug reservoirs is presented with an emphasis to "nano"-devices of various geometries, from planar coatings to fibers and capsules. The inherent versatile nature of this technique allows producing carriers resorting to distinct classes of materials, variable geometry and customized release profiles that fit within adequate criteria required for disease treatment or for novel applications in the tissue engineering field. The production methods of LbL reservoirs are varied and allow for different kinds of molecules to be incorporated, such as antibiotics, growth factors and biosensing substances, not limited to water-soluble molecules but including hydrophobic drugs. We will also debate the future of LbL in the pharmaceutical industry. Currently, multilayered structures are yet to be covered by the regulatory guidelines that govern the fabrication of nanotechnology products. However, as they stand now, LbL nanodevices have already shown usefulness for antifouling applications, gene therapy, nanovaccines and the formation of de novo tissues. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neat monolayer tiling of molecularly thin two-dimensional materials in 1 min

PubMed Central

Matsuba, Kazuaki; Wang, Chengxiang; Saruwatari, Kazuko; Uesusuki, Yusuke; Akatsuka, Kosho; Osada, Minoru; Ebina, Yasuo; Ma, Renzhi; Sasaki, Takayoshi

2017-01-01

Controlled arrangement of molecularly thin two-dimensional (2D) materials on a substrate, particularly into precisely organized mono- and multilayer structures, is a key to design a nanodevice using their unique and enhanced physical properties. Several techniques such as mechanical transfer process and Langmuir-Blodgett deposition have been applied for this purpose, but they have severe restrictions for large-scale practical applications, for example, limited processable area and long fabrication time, requiring skilled multistep operations. We report a facile one-pot spin-coating method to realize dense monolayer tiling of various 2D materials, such as graphene and metal oxide nanosheets, within 1 min over a wide area (for example, a 30-mmφ substrate). Centrifugal force drives the nanosheets in a thin fluid layer to the substrate edge where they are packed edge to edge all the way to the central region, without forming overlaps. We investigated the relationship between precursor concentration, rotation speed, and ultraviolet-visible absorbance and developed an effective method to optimize the parameters for neat monolayer films. The multilayer buildup is feasible by repeating the spin-coating process combined with a heat treatment at moderate temperature. This versatile solution-based technique will provide both fundamental and practical advancements in the rapid large-scale production of artificial lattice-like films and nanodevices based on 2D materials. PMID:28695198

Multilayered metal-insulator nanocavities: toward tunable multi-resonance nano-devices for integrated optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Junyeob; Zhou, Wei

2017-02-01

Plasmonic nanocavities can control light flows and enhance light-mater interactions at subwavelength scale, and thus can potentially be used as nanoscale components in integrated optics systems either for passive optical coupling, or for active optical modulation and emission. In this work, we investigated a new type of multilayered metal-insulator optical nanocavities that can support multiple localized plasmon resonances with ultra-small mode volumes. The total number of resonance peaks and their resonance wavelengths can be freely and accurately controlled by simple geometric design rules. Multi-resonance plasmonic nanocavities can serve as a nanoscale wavelength-multiplexed optical components in integrated optics systems, such as optical couplers, light emitters, nanolasers, optical sensors, and optical modulators.

Modulation of electronic and magnetic properties in InSe nanoribbons: edge effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Meng; Shi, Jun-jie; Zhang, Min; Ding, Yi-min; Wang, Hui; Cen, Yu-lang; Guo, Wen-hui; Pan, Shu-hang; Zhu, Yao-hui

2018-05-01

Quite recently, the two-dimensional (2D) InSe nanosheet has become a hot material with great promise for advanced functional nano-devices. In this work, for the first time, we perform first-principles calculations on the structural, electronic, magnetic and transport properties of 1D InSe nanoribbons with/without hydrogen or halogen saturation. We find that armchair ribbons, with various edges and distortions, are all nonmagnetic semiconductors, with a direct bandgap of 1.3 (1.4) eV for bare (H-saturated) ribbons, and have the same high electron mobility of about 103 cm2V‑1s‑1 as the 2D InSe nanosheet. Zigzag InSe nanoribbons exhibit metallic behavior and diverse intrinsic ferromagnetic properties, with the magnetic moment of 0.5–0.7 μ B per unit cell, especially for their single-edge spin polarization. The edge spin orientation, mainly dominated by the unpaired electrons of the edge atoms, depends sensitively on the edge chirality. Hydrogen or halogen saturation can effectively recover the structural distortion, and modulate the electronic and magnetic properties. The binding energy calculations show that the stability of InSe nanoribbons is analogous to that of graphene and better than in 2D InSe nanosheets. These InSe nanoribbons, with novel electronic and magnetic properties, are thus very promising for use in electronic, spintronic and magnetoresistive nano-devices.

Modulation of electronic and magnetic properties in InSe nanoribbons: edge effect.

PubMed

Wu, Meng; Shi, Jun-Jie; Zhang, Min; Ding, Yi-Min; Wang, Hui; Cen, Yu-Lang; Guo, Wen-Hui; Pan, Shu-Hang; Zhu, Yao-Hui

2018-05-18

Quite recently, the two-dimensional (2D) InSe nanosheet has become a hot material with great promise for advanced functional nano-devices. In this work, for the first time, we perform first-principles calculations on the structural, electronic, magnetic and transport properties of 1D InSe nanoribbons with/without hydrogen or halogen saturation. We find that armchair ribbons, with various edges and distortions, are all nonmagnetic semiconductors, with a direct bandgap of 1.3 (1.4) eV for bare (H-saturated) ribbons, and have the same high electron mobility of about 10 3 cm 2 V -1 s -1 as the 2D InSe nanosheet. Zigzag InSe nanoribbons exhibit metallic behavior and diverse intrinsic ferromagnetic properties, with the magnetic moment of 0.5-0.7 μ B per unit cell, especially for their single-edge spin polarization. The edge spin orientation, mainly dominated by the unpaired electrons of the edge atoms, depends sensitively on the edge chirality. Hydrogen or halogen saturation can effectively recover the structural distortion, and modulate the electronic and magnetic properties. The binding energy calculations show that the stability of InSe nanoribbons is analogous to that of graphene and better than in 2D InSe nanosheets. These InSe nanoribbons, with novel electronic and magnetic properties, are thus very promising for use in electronic, spintronic and magnetoresistive nano-devices.

NANODEVICE: Novel Concepts, Methods, and Technologies for the Production of Portable, Easy-to-use Devices for the Measurement and Analysis of Airborne Engineered Nanoparticles in Workplace Air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirviö, Sari; Savolainen, Kai

2011-07-01

NANODEVICE is a research project funded by the European Commission in the context of the 7th Framework Programme. The duration is 48 months starting 1st of April 2009. Due to their unique properties, engineered nanoparticles (ENP) are now used for a myriad of novel applications, and have a great economic and technological importance. However, some of these properties, especially their surface reactivity, have raised health concerns due to their potential health effects. There is currently a shortage of field-worthy, cost-effective ways - especially in real time - for reliable assessment of exposure levels to ENP in workplace air. NANODEVICE will provide new information on the physico-chemical properties of engineered nanoparticles (ENP) and information about their toxicology. The main emphasis of the project is in the development of novel measuring devices to assess the exposure to ENP's from workplace air. The purpose of the project is also to promote the safe use of ENP through guidance, standards and education, implementing of safety objectives in ENP production and handling, and promotion of safety related collaborations through an international nanosafety forum. The main project goal is to develop innovative concepts and reliable methods for characterizing ENP in workplace air with novel, portable and easy-to-use devices suitable for workplaces.

Nanowire-nanoparticle conjugate photolytic devices for renewable hydrogen production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maclaskey, Sean Kelly

A clean energy driven economy requires renewable production of zero--emission fuels, such as hydrogen (H2). Photocatalytic generation of H2 is one such method to fulfill this demand. Photocatalytic water splitting is an electrochemical process driven by solar energy to produce H2. Although there have been many investigations on photocatalytic water splitting, the number of concepts utilizing visible light is limited. In the present study, H2 evolution from water splitting is demonstrated using the novel concept of nanowire--nanoparticle (NW--NP) conjugate devices irradiated by visible light. Photolytic nanodevice suspensions are fabricated via sol--gel synthesis of vanadium oxyhydrate (V3O 7·H2O) NWs, followed by solution chemistry with HAuCl 4 for reduction of gold (Au) NPs on the NW surfaces. Characterization of nanodevices was performed via TEM, SEM, and optical spectroscopy. Products of photolysis were quantified and analyzed by Gas Chromatography (GC). The performance of the nanowire--nanoparticle conjugate devices was compared with previous photolytic device designs by the use of quantum and internal conversion efficiencies (QE and ICE, respectively). The present thesis demonstrates photocatalytic production of H2 using V3O7·H 2O NW -- Au NP conjugate devices under 470 nm excitation. The "photolytic nanodevice suspension in water" concept poses the potential for scalable H2 production, in addition to the provision for a low--cost technique due to fabrication by sol--gel synthesis and solution chemistry. The V3O7·H2O aerogel, a recently discovered semiconductor material, is found to be a suitable photoanode due to its narrow band gap energy of 2.18 eV, and its stability during photolysis. The diameters of the V3O7·H2O NWs are found to be 12 nm (+/- 2.4 nm) from SEM images. The decoration of NWs with Au NPs is verified by TEM imaging and Au NPs are estimated to be 7.5 nm (+/- 2.2 nm) in size. After decoration of NWs by Au NPs, a near--field enhancement effect on optical absorption by NWs was observed by UV--visible spectroscopy. Further, the emergence of new optical absorbance peaks indicates possible coupling of incident light into waveguide modes of the NWs. QE and ICE values for the NW--NP conjugate devices are found to be 19.28% and 8.98%, respectively, for the first hour of photolysis.

Vortex Domain Structure in Ferroelectric Nanoplatelets and Control of its Transformation by Mechanical Load

PubMed Central

Chen, W. J.; Zheng, Yue; Wang, Biao

2012-01-01

Vortex domain patterns in low-dimensional ferroelectrics and multiferroics have been extensively studied with the aim of developing nanoscale functional devices. However, control of the vortex domain structure has not been investigated systematically. Taking into account effects of inhomogeneous electromechanical fields, ambient temperature, surface and size, we demonstrate significant influence of mechanical load on the vortex domain structure in ferroelectric nanoplatelets. Our analysis shows that the size and number of dipole vortices can be controlled by mechanical load, and yields rich temperature-stress (T-S) phase diagrams. Simulations also reveal that transformations between “vortex states” induced by the mechanical load are possible, which is totally different from the conventional way controlled on the vortex domain by the electric field. These results are relevant to application of vortex domain structures in ferroelectric nanodevices, and suggest a novel route to applications including memories, mechanical sensors and transducers. PMID:23150769

Carbon Based Nanotechnology: Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srivastava, Deepak; Saini, Subhash (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

This presentation reviews publicly available information related to carbon based nanotechnology. Topics covered include nanomechanics, carbon based electronics, nanodevice/materials applications, nanotube motors, nano-lithography and H2O storage in nanotubes.

Photochemical Acceleration of DNA Strand Displacement by Using Ultrafast DNA Photo-crosslinking.

PubMed

Nakamura, Shigetaka; Hashimoto, Hirokazu; Kobayashi, Satoshi; Fujimoto, Kenzo

2017-10-18

DNA strand displacement is an essential reaction in genetic recombination, biological processes, and DNA nanotechnology. In particular, various DNA nanodevices enable complicated calculations. However, it takes time before the output is obtained, so acceleration of DNA strand displacement is required for a rapid-response DNA nanodevice. Herein, DNA strand displacement by using DNA photo-crosslinking to accelerate this displacement is evaluated. The DNA photo-crosslinking of 3-cyanovinylcarbazole ( CNV K) was accelerated at least 20 times, showing a faster DNA strand displacement. The rate of photo-crosslinking is a key factor and the rate of DNA strand displacement is accelerated through ultrafast photo-crosslinking. The rate of DNA strand displacement was regulated by photoirradiation energy. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Micro- and nanodevices integrated with biomolecular probes

PubMed Central

Alapan, Yunus; Icoz, Kutay; Gurkan, Umut A.

2016-01-01

Understanding how biomolecules, proteins and cells interact with their surroundings and other biological entities has become the fundamental design criterion for most biomedical micro- and nanodevices. Advances in biology, medicine, and nanofabrication technologies complement each other and allow us to engineer new tools based on biomolecules utilized as probes. Engineered micro/nanosystems and biomolecules in nature have remarkably robust compatibility in terms of function, size, and physical properties. This article presents the state of the art in micro- and nanoscale devices designed and fabricated with biomolecular probes as their vital constituents. General design and fabrication concepts are presented and three major platform technologies are highlighted: microcantilevers, micro/nanopillars, and microfluidics. Overview of each technology, typical fabrication details, and application areas are presented by emphasizing significant achievements, current challenges, and future opportunities. PMID:26363089

Nanodevices in diagnostics

PubMed Central

Hu, Ye; Fine, Daniel H.; Tasciotti, Ennio; Bouamrani, Ali; Ferrari, Mauro

2010-01-01

The real-time, personalized and highly sensitive early-stage diagnosis of disease remains an important challenge in modern medicine. With the ability to interact with matter at the nanoscale, the development of nanotechnology architectures and materials could potentially extend subcellular and molecular detection beyond the limits of conventional diagnostic modalities. At the very least, nanotechnology should be able to dramatically accelerate biomarker discovery, as well as facilitate disease monitoring, especially of maladies presenting a high degree of molecular and compositional heterogeneity. This article gives an overview of several of the most promising nanodevices and nanomaterials along with their applications in clinical practice. Significant work to adapt nanoscale materials and devices to clinical applications involving large interdisciplinary collaborations is already underway with the potential for nanotechnology to become an important enabling diagnostic technology. PMID:20229595

Beyond DNA origami: A look on the bright future of nucleic acid nanotechnology

PubMed Central

Michelotti, Nicole; Johnson-Buck, Alexander; Manzo, Anthony J.

2012-01-01

Nucleic acid nanotechnology exploits the programmable molecular recognition properties of natural and synthetic nucleic acids to assemble structures with nanometer-scale precision. In 2006, DNA origami transformed the field by providing a versatile platform for self-assembly of arbitrary shapes from one long DNA strand held in place by hundreds of short, site-specific (spatially addressable) DNA ”staples”. This revolutionary approach has led to the creation of a multitude of 2D and 3D scaffolds that form the basis for functional nanodevices. Not limited to nucleic acids, these nanodevices can incorporate other structural and functional materials, such as proteins and nanoparticles, making them broadly useful for current and future applications in emerging fields such as nanomedicine, nanoelectronics, and alternative energy. PMID:22131292

QDIP vs. QWIP: Theory and Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razeghi, Manijeh

2004-03-01

The conquest of the nano-world is occurring simultaneously in almost every field with a strong interdisciplinary character. The mechanical, electrical, optical, magnetic and chemical properties of materials are beginning to be exploited on nano-scale. This enables the fabrication of devices that rely on effects on the nano-scale. Specially the creation of nanostructures by self-assembly has become very important part towards the development of the new nano-scale devices such as quantum dot laser and Quantum Dot Infrared Photodetector (QDIP). Self-assembled quantum dots (SAQD) are based on the Stranski-Krastanow growth mode by Metal Organic Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) or Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE). SAQDs appeal by the lack of non-radiative recombination due to epitaxial interfaces, typical dimensions in the 10 nm to a few 10 nm region providing for strong quantum confinement, as well as the compatibility with monolithic device integration. One of the emerging nano-devices, QDIP will be presented and analyzed. Their advantages and limitation by comparison to QWIP will be presented.. QDIPs are important device application for the detection of mid- (MIR) and far-infrared (FIR) radiation utilizing optical inter-sublevel transition (ISL). Specially QDIPs can have better performances compared to other detection technologies such as sensitivity to normal incidence photoexcitation, larger phonon scattering times (phonon bottleneck) which lead to increased carrier capture and relaxation times. Since ISL transitions are observable also in absence of spectator charges in QDs, results may differ substantially from those obtained by interband experiments such as photoluminescence and PL Excitation. Optical properties of such QDIPs depend critically on the structural properties such as the size, composition and shape, giving potentially unprecedented control on the optical properties. In order to understand the correlations between the structural and optical properties, in this work the single-band, constant-potential model was developed. These calculations can be applied to interpret the effect on the electronic energy levels in the size, composition and shape, the cut-off wavelength of the device, the interaction of electron or hole with electric field, photons, and phonons, the polarization behavior, LO-phonon interaction. The purpose of the theory is not only for better understanding the physics but also for the improvement of the device performance toward the Focal Plane Array (FPA) of QDIP which is necessary to obtain the high detectivity ( 1010 cmHz1/2/W) and low dark current. The investigations of physics underlying the quantum dot are still under the intense research and need to be much more studied and enhance the performances of devices and open new possibilities for the development of new nano-devices.

Porphyrin-Based Nanostructures for Photocatalytic Applications

PubMed Central

Chen, Yingzhi; Li, Aoxiang; Huang, Zheng-Hong; Wang, Lu-Ning; Kang, Feiyu

2016-01-01

Well-defined organic nanostructures with controllable size and morphology are increasingly exploited in optoelectronic devices. As promising building blocks, porphyrins have demonstrated great potentials in visible-light photocatalytic applications, because of their electrical, optical and catalytic properties. From this perspective, we have summarized the recent significant advances on the design and photocatalytic applications of porphyrin-based nanostructures. The rational strategies, such as texture or crystal modification and interfacial heterostructuring, are described. The applications of the porphyrin-based nanostructures in photocatalytic pollutant degradation and hydrogen evolution are presented. Finally, the ongoing challenges and opportunities for the future development of porphyrin nanostructures in high-quality nanodevices are also proposed. PMID:28344308

Functionalizing graphene by embedded boron clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quandt, Alexander; Özdoğan, Cem; Kunstmann, Jens; Fehske, Holger

2008-08-01

We present a model system that might serve as a blueprint for the controlled layout of graphene based nanodevices. The systems consists of chains of B7 clusters implanted in a graphene matrix, where the boron clusters are not directly connected. We show that the graphene matrix easily accepts these alternating B7-C6 chains and that the implanted boron components may dramatically modify the electronic properties of graphene based nanomaterials. This suggests a functionalization of graphene nanomaterials, where the semiconducting properties might be supplemented by parts of the graphene matrix itself, but the basic wiring will be provided by alternating chains of implanted boron clusters that connect these areas.

Periodic Assembly of Nanospecies on Repetitive DNA Sequences Generated on Gold Nanoparticles by Rolling Circle Amplification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Weian; Brook, Michael A.; Li, Yingfu

Periodical assembly of nanospecies is desirable for the construction of nanodevices. We provide a protocol for the preparation of a gold nanoparticle (AuNP)/DNA scaffold on which nanospecies can be assembled in a periodical manner. AuNP/DNA scaffold is prepared by growing long single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules (typically hundreds of nanometers to a few microns in length) on AuNPs via rolling circle amplification (RCA). Since these long ssDNA molecules contain many repetitive sequence units, complementary DNA-attached nanospecies can be assembled through specific hybridization in a controllable and periodical manner.

Nanogap structures for molecular nanoelectronics

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

This study is focused on the realization of nanodevices for nano and molecular electronics, based on molecular interactions in a metal-molecule-metal (M-M-M) structure. In an M-M-M system, the electronic function is a property of the structure and can be characterized through I/V measurements. The contact between the metals and the molecule was obtained by gold nanogaps (with a dimension of less than 10 nm), produced with the electromigration technique. The nanogap fabrication was controlled by a custom hardware and the related software system. The studies were carried out through experiments and simulations of organic molecules, in particular oligothiophenes. PMID:22321736

Gold Nanorods as Nanodevices for Bioimaging, Photothermal Therapeutics, and Drug Delivery.

PubMed

Haine, Aung Thu; Niidome, Takuro

2017-01-01

Gold nanorods are promising metals in several biomedical applications such as bioimaging, thermal therapy, and drug delivery. Gold nanorods have strong absorption bands in near-infrared (NIR) light region and show photothermal effects. Since NIR light can penetrate deeply into tissues, their unique optical, chemical, and biological properties have attracted considerable clinical interest. Gold nanorods are expected to act not only as on-demand thermal converters for photothermal therapy but also as mediators of a controlled drug-release system responding to light irradiation. In this review, we discuss current progress using gold nanorods as bioimaging platform, phototherapeutic agents, and drug delivery vehicles.

Thickness-controlled electronic structure and thermoelectric performance of ultrathin SnS2 nanosheets.

PubMed

Li, Jun; Shen, Jinni; Ma, Zuju; Wu, Kechen

2017-08-21

The thermoelectric conversion efficiency of a material relies on a dimensionless parameter (ZT = S 2 σT/κ). It is a great challenge in enhancing the ZT value basically due to that the related transport factors of most of the bulk materials are inter-conditioned to each other, making it very difficult to simultaneously optimize these parameters. In this report, the negative correlation between power factor and thermal conductivity of nano-scaled SnS 2 multilayers is predicted by high-level first-principle computations combined with Boltzmann transport theory. By diminishing the thickness of SnS 2 nanosheet to about 3 L, the S and σ along a direction simultaneously increase whereas κ decreases, achieving a high ZT value of 1.87 at 800 K. The microscopic mechanisms for this unusual negative correlation in nano-scaled two dimensional (2D) material are elucidated and attributed to the quantum confinement effect. The results may open a way to explore the high ZT thermoelectric nano-devices for the practical thermoelectric applications.

Nonequilibrium Tuning of the Thermal Casimir Effect.

PubMed

Dean, David S; Lu, Bing-Sui; Maggs, A C; Podgornik, Rudolf

2016-06-17

In net-neutral systems correlations between charge fluctuations generate strong attractive thermal Casimir forces and engineering these forces to optimize nanodevice performance is an important challenge. We show how the normal and lateral thermal Casimir forces between two plates containing Brownian charges can be modulated by decorrelating the system through the application of an electric field, which generates a nonequilibrium steady state with a constant current in one or both plates, reducing the ensuing fluctuation-generated normal force while at the same time generating a lateral drag force. This hypothesis is confirmed by detailed numerical simulations as well as an analytical approach based on stochastic density functional theory.

Tissue engineering on the nanoscale: lessons from the heart.

PubMed

Fleischer, Sharon; Dvir, Tal

2013-08-01

Recognizing the limitations of biomaterials for engineering complex tissues and the desire for closer recapitulation of the natural matrix have led tissue engineers to seek new technologies for fabricating 3-dimensional (3D) cellular microenvironments. In this review, through examples from cardiac tissue engineering, we describe the nanoscale hallmarks of the extracellular matrix that tissue engineers strive to mimic. Furthermore, we discuss the use of inorganic nanoparticles and nanodevices for improving and monitoring the performance of engineered tissues. Finally, we offer our opinion on the main challenges and prospects of applying nanotechnology in tissue engineering. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ni-DNA-based nanowires and nanodevices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Chia-Ching; Yuan, Chiun-Jye; Jian, Wen-Bin; Chen, Yu-Chang; di Ventra, Massimiliano

DNA is a highly versatile biopolymer that has been a recent focus in the field of nanomachines and nanoelectronics. DNA exhibits high stability, adjustable conductance, self-organizing capability, programmability and vast information storage. It is an ideal material in the applications of nanodevices, nanoelectronics, and molecular computing. Low conductance of native DNA renders applications difficult. However, doping with nickel ions tunes the DNA into a conducting polymer. Further studies showed that nickel ions containing DNA (Ni-DNA) nanowires exhibit characteristics of memristor and memcapacitor making them a potential mass information storage system. In summary, Ni-DNA has promising applications in a variety of fields, including nanoelectronics, biosensors and memcomputing. This study was supported in part by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Taiwan (ROC) MOST 103-2112-M-009-011 -MY3, and MOST 105-2627-M-009-006.

Investigating interfacial contact configuration and behavior of single-walled carbon nanotube-based nanodevice with atomistic simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Jianlei; Zhang, Jianwei; He, Xiaoqiao; Mei, Xuesong; Wang, Wenjun; Yang, Xinju; Xie, Hui; Yang, Lijun; Wang, Yang

2017-03-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs), including single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), are considered to be the promising candidates for next-generation interconnects with excellent physical and chemical properties ranging from ultrahigh mechanical strength, to electrical properties, to thermal conductivity, to optical properties, etc. To further study the interfacial contact configurations of SWNT-based nanodevice with a 13.56-Å diameter, the corresponding simulations are carried out with the molecular dynamic method. The nanotube collapses dramatically into the surface with the complete collapse on the Au/Ag/graphite electrode surface and slight distortion on the Si/SiO2 substrate surface, respectively. The related dominant mechanism is studied and explained. Meanwhile, the interfacial contact configuration and behavior, depended on other factors, are also analyzed in this article.

Large-scale freestanding nanometer-thick graphite pellicles for mass production of nanodevices beyond 10 nm.

PubMed

Kim, Seul-Gi; Shin, Dong-Wook; Kim, Taesung; Kim, Sooyoung; Lee, Jung Hun; Lee, Chang Gu; Yang, Cheol-Woong; Lee, Sungjoo; Cho, Sang Jin; Jeon, Hwan Chul; Kim, Mun Ja; Kim, Byung-Gook; Yoo, Ji-Beom

2015-09-21

Extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) has received much attention in the semiconductor industry as a promising candidate to extend dimensional scaling beyond 10 nm. We present a new pellicle material, nanometer-thick graphite film (NGF), which shows an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) transmission of 92% at a thickness of 18 nm. The maximum temperature induced by laser irradiation (λ = 800 nm) of 9.9 W cm(-2) was 267 °C, due to the high thermal conductivity of the NGF. The freestanding NGF was found to be chemically stable during annealing at 500 °C in a hydrogen environment. A 50 × 50 mm large area freestanding NGF was fabricated using the wet and dry transfer (WaDT) method. The NGF can be used as an EUVL pellicle for the mass production of nanodevices beyond 10 nm.

Micro- and nanodevices integrated with biomolecular probes.

PubMed

Alapan, Yunus; Icoz, Kutay; Gurkan, Umut A

2015-12-01

Understanding how biomolecules, proteins and cells interact with their surroundings and other biological entities has become the fundamental design criterion for most biomedical micro- and nanodevices. Advances in biology, medicine, and nanofabrication technologies complement each other and allow us to engineer new tools based on biomolecules utilized as probes. Engineered micro/nanosystems and biomolecules in nature have remarkably robust compatibility in terms of function, size, and physical properties. This article presents the state of the art in micro- and nanoscale devices designed and fabricated with biomolecular probes as their vital constituents. General design and fabrication concepts are presented and three major platform technologies are highlighted: microcantilevers, micro/nanopillars, and microfluidics. Overview of each technology, typical fabrication details, and application areas are presented by emphasizing significant achievements, current challenges, and future opportunities. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Architecture design of resistor/FET-logic demultiplexer for hybrid CMOS/nanodevice circuit interconnect.

PubMed

Li, Shu; Zhang, Tong

2008-05-07

Hybrid nanoelectronics consisting of nanodevice crossbars on top of CMOS backplane circuits is emerging as one viable option to sustain Moore's law after the CMOS scaling limit is reached. One main design challenge in such hybrid nanoelectronics is the interface between the highly dense nanowires in nanodevice crossbars and relatively coarse microwires in the CMOS domain. Such an interface can be realized through a logic circuit called a demultiplexer (demux). In this context, all the prior work on demux design uses a single type of device, such as resistor, diode or field effect transistor (FET), to realize the demultiplexing function. However, different types of devices have their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of functionality, manufacturability, speed and power consumption. This makes none of them provide a satisfactory solution. To tackle this challenge, this work proposes to combine resistor with FET to implement the demux, leading to the hybrid resistor/FET-logic demux. Such hybrid demux architecture can make these two types of devices complement each other well to improve the overall demux design effectiveness. Furthermore, due to the inevitable fabrication process variations at the nanoscale, the effects of resistor conductance and FET threshold voltage variability are analyzed and evaluated based on computer simulations. The simulation results provide the requirement on the fabrication process to ensure a high demux reliability, and promise the hybrid resistor/FET-logic demux an improved addressability and process variance tolerance.

Electronic and magnetic properties of MoSe2 armchair nanoribbons controlled by the different edge structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hui; Zhao, Xu; Gao, Yonghui; Wang, Haiyang; Wang, Tianxing; Wei, Shuyi

2018-03-01

Tow-dimensional materials obviously have potential applications in next-generation nanodevices because of their extraordinary physical and chemical properties and the demands of the market. Using first-principle calculation based on density functional theory, we explore electronic and magnetic properties of the different nanoribbons with various edge structures, namely, with hydrogenation or not. In addition, we also calculate the binding energy to analyze the stability of the nanoribbon. Our calculations tell us that the passivated nanoribbons have the positive binding energies, which indicates the passivated nanoribbons are relative stable and hydrogenation can improve the stability of the bare nanoribbons due to the reduction of the dangling bonds. Among of them, full hydrogenation has the highest stability. We find all the nanoribbons with full and without hydrogenation are nonmagnetic semiconductors. It is worth mentioning that hydrogenation can induce the bare nanoribbons to transform gradually from indirect band gap semiconductor to direct band gap semiconductor, even to half-metal. In addition, the magnetic moment of the bare nanoribbon change bit by bit as the rate of hydrogenation increases. When the edge atoms are fully hydrogenated, the magnetic moment return to zero. What's more, our research results still confirm that electronic and magnetic properties of the nanorribons without and with different edge passivation are mainly contributed by the atoms at the edges. These studies about MoSe2 nanoribbons will shed light on the further development of the relevant nanodevices in versatile applications, such as spintronics and energy harvesting.

Using natural language processing techniques to inform research on nanotechnology.

PubMed

Lewinski, Nastassja A; McInnes, Bridget T

2015-01-01

Literature in the field of nanotechnology is exponentially increasing with more and more engineered nanomaterials being created, characterized, and tested for performance and safety. With the deluge of published data, there is a need for natural language processing approaches to semi-automate the cataloguing of engineered nanomaterials and their associated physico-chemical properties, performance, exposure scenarios, and biological effects. In this paper, we review the different informatics methods that have been applied to patent mining, nanomaterial/device characterization, nanomedicine, and environmental risk assessment. Nine natural language processing (NLP)-based tools were identified: NanoPort, NanoMapper, TechPerceptor, a Text Mining Framework, a Nanodevice Analyzer, a Clinical Trial Document Classifier, Nanotoxicity Searcher, NanoSifter, and NEIMiner. We conclude with recommendations for sharing NLP-related tools through online repositories to broaden participation in nanoinformatics.

Effectiveness of plasma and radical control for the low temperature synthesis and properties of a-SiNx:H films using RF-near microwave PECVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, Bibhuti Bhusan; Toyoda, Hirotaka; Han, Jeon Geon

2018-02-01

By mixing and alternating power conditions of radio frequency and microwave plasma sources, a detailed study of a-SiNx:H films in the SiH4/N2 plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition processes is undertaken. Data reveal a remarkable coherence between the deposition conditions, material's quality, bond densities, optical property, and stoichiometry of the films. The film composition can simply vary from Si-rich to N-rich by incorporating suitable plasma and atomic radical parameters. Highly transparent and wide bandgap films with N to Si and N to H atomic ratios up to ˜2.3 and 3.1, respectively, are prepared by controlling the plasma parameters and radicals. The presented results pave the way for dual frequency PECVD utilization in a-SiNx:H films for their use in controlled-bandgap nanodevices and light emitting applications.

Advances in fractal germanium micro/nanoclusters induced by gold: microstructures and properties.

PubMed

Chen, Zhiwen; Shek, Chan-Hung; Wu, C M Lawrence; Lai, Joseph K L

2014-02-01

Germanium materials are a class of unique semiconductor materials with widespread technological applications because of their valuable semiconducting, electrical, optical, and thermoelectric power properties in the fields of macro/mesoscopic materials and micro/nanodevices. In this review, we describe the efforts toward understanding the microstructures and various properties of the fractal germanium micro/nanoclusters induced by gold prepared by high vacuum thermal evaporation techniques, highlighting contributions from our laboratory. First, we present the integer and non-integer dimensional germanium micro/nanoclusters such as nanoparticles, nanorings, and nanofractals induced by gold and annealing. In particular, the nonlinear electrical behavior of a gold/germanium bilayer film with the interesting nanofractal is discussed in detail. In addition, the third-order optical nonlinearities of the fractal germanium nanocrystals embedded in gold matrix will be summarized by using the sensitive and reliable Z-scan techniques aimed to determine the nonlinear absorption coefficient and nonlinear refractive index. Finally, we emphasize the thermoelectric power properties of the gold/germanium bilayer films. The thermoelectric power measurement is considered to be a more effective method than the conductivity for investigating superlocalization in a percolating system. This research may provide a novel insight to modulate their competent performance and promote rational design of micro/nanodevices. Once mastered, germanium thin films with a variety of fascinating micro/nanoclusters will offer vast and unforeseen opportunities in the semiconductor industry as well as in other fields of science and technology.

Micro/nanofabricated solid-state thermoelectric generator devices for integrated high voltage power sources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleurial, J. P.; Snyder, G. J.; Patel, J.; Huang, C. K.; Ryan, M. A.; Averback, R.; Chen, G.; Hill, C.

2002-01-01

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been actively pursuing the development of thermoelectric micro/nanodevices that can be fabricated using a combination of electrochemical deposition and integrated circuit processing techniques.

Micromagnetic modeling of the shielding properties of nanoscale ferromagnetic layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iskandarova, I. M.; Knizhnik, A. A.; Popkov, A. F.; Potapkin, B. V.; Stainer, Q.; Lombard, L.; Mackay, K.

2016-09-01

Ferromagnetic shields are widely used to concentrate magnetic fields in a target region of space. Such shields are also used in spintronic nanodevices such as magnetic random access memory and magnetic logic devices. However, the shielding properties of nanostructured shields can differ considerably from those of macroscopic samples. In this work, we investigate the shielding properties of nanostructured NiFe layers around a current line using a finite element micromagnetic model. We find that thin ferromagnetic layers demonstrate saturation of magnetization under an external magnetic field, which reduces the shielding efficiency. Moreover, we show that the shielding properties of nanoscale ferromagnetic layers strongly depend on the uniformity of the layer thickness. Magnetic anisotropy in ultrathin ferromagnetic layers can also influence their shielding efficiency. In addition, we show that domain walls in nanoscale ferromagnetic shields can induce large increases and decreases in the generated magnetic field. Therefore, ferromagnetic shields for spintronic nanodevices require careful design and precise fabrication.

Intercalated water layers promote thermal dissipation at bio-nano interfaces.

PubMed

Wang, Yanlei; Qin, Zhao; Buehler, Markus J; Xu, Zhiping

2016-09-23

The increasing interest in developing nanodevices for biophysical and biomedical applications results in concerns about thermal management at interfaces between tissues and electronic devices. However, there is neither sufficient knowledge nor suitable tools for the characterization of thermal properties at interfaces between materials of contrasting mechanics, which are essential for design with reliability. Here we use computational simulations to quantify thermal transfer across the cell membrane-graphene interface. We find that the intercalated water displays a layered order below a critical value of ∼1 nm nanoconfinement, mediating the interfacial thermal coupling, and efficiently enhancing the thermal dissipation. We thereafter develop an analytical model to evaluate the critical value for power generation in graphene before significant heat is accumulated to disturb living tissues. These findings may provide a basis for the rational design of wearable and implantable nanodevices in biosensing and thermotherapic treatments where thermal dissipation and transport processes are crucial.

Enhanced Optical Breakdown in KB Cells Labeled with Folate-Targeted Silver/Dendrimer Composite Nanodevices

PubMed Central

Tse, Christine; Zohdy, Marwa J.; Ye, Jing Yong; O'Donnell, Matthew; Lesniak, Wojciech; Balogh, Lajos

2010-01-01

Enhanced optical breakdown of KB cells (a human oral epidermoid cancer cell known to overexpress folate receptors) targeted with silver/dendrimer composite nanodevices (CNDs) is described. CNDs {(Ag0}25-PAMAM_E5.(NH2)42(NGly)74(NFA)2.7} were fabricated by reactive encapsulation, using a biocompatible template of dendrimer-folic acid (FA) conjugates. Preferential uptake of the folate-targeted CNDs (of various treatment concentrations and surface functionality) by KB cells was visualized with confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Intracellular laser-induced optical breakdown (LIOB) threshold and dynamics were detected and characterized by high-frequency ultrasonic monitoring of resulting transient bubble events. When irradiated with a near-infrared (NIR), femtosecond laser, the CND-targeted KB cells acted as well-confined activators of laser energy, enhancing nonlinear energy absorption, exhibiting a significant reduction in breakdown threshold, and thus selectively promoting intracellular LIOB. PMID:20883823

Nucleic Acid-Based Nanodevices in Biological Imaging.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Kasturi; Veetil, Aneesh T; Jaffrey, Samie R; Krishnan, Yamuna

2016-06-02

The nanoscale engineering of nucleic acids has led to exciting molecular technologies for high-end biological imaging. The predictable base pairing, high programmability, and superior new chemical and biological methods used to access nucleic acids with diverse lengths and in high purity, coupled with computational tools for their design, have allowed the creation of a stunning diversity of nucleic acid-based nanodevices. Given their biological origin, such synthetic devices have a tremendous capacity to interface with the biological world, and this capacity lies at the heart of several nucleic acid-based technologies that are finding applications in biological systems. We discuss these diverse applications and emphasize the advantage, in terms of physicochemical properties, that the nucleic acid scaffold brings to these contexts. As our ability to engineer this versatile scaffold increases, its applications in structural, cellular, and organismal biology are clearly poised to massively expand.

Group-Velocity-Controlled and Gate-Tunable Directional Excitation of Polaritons in Graphene-Boron Nitride Heterostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Yuyu; Lin, Xiao; Low, Tony; Zhang, Baile; Chen, Hongsheng

2018-05-01

A fundamental building block in nano-photonics is the ability to directionally excite highly squeezed optical mode dynamically, particularly with an electrical bias. Such capabilities would enable the active manipulation of light propagation for information processing and transfer. However, when the optical source is built-in, it remains challenging to steer the excitation directionality in a flexible way. Here, we reveal a novel mechanism for tunable directional excitation of highly squeezed polaritons in graphene-hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) heterostructures. The effect relies on controlling the sign of the group velocity of the coupled plasmon-phonon polaritons, which can be flipped by simply tuning the chemical potential of graphene (through electrostatic gating) in the heterostructures. Graphene-hBN heterostructure thus present a promising platform toward nano-photonic circuits and nano-devices with electrically reconfigurable functionalities.

A general lithography-free method of microscale/nanoscale fabrication and patterning on Si and Ge surfaces

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Here, we introduce and give an overview of a general lithography-free method to fabricate silicide and germanide micro-/nanostructures on Si and Ge surfaces through metal-vapor-initiated endoepitaxial growth. Excellent controls on shape and orientation are achieved by adjusting the substrate orientation and growth parameters. Furthermore, micro-/nanoscale pits with controlled morphologies can also be successfully fabricated on Si and Ge surfaces by taking advantage of the sublimation of silicides/germanides. The aim of this brief report is to illustrate the concept of lithography-free synthesis and patterning on surfaces of elemental semiconductors, and the differences and the challenges associated with the Si and the Ge surfaces will be discussed. Our results suggest that this low-cost bottom-up approach is promising for applications in functional nanodevices. PMID:22315969

Dynamic Photochemical and Optoelectronic Control of Photonic Fano Resonances via Monolayer MoS2 Trions.

PubMed

Zhang, Xingwang; Biekert, Nicolas; Choi, Shinhyuk; Naylor, Carl H; De-Eknamkul, Chawina; Huang, Wenzhuo; Zhang, Xiaojie; Zheng, Xiaorui; Wang, Dake; Johnson, A T Charlie; Cubukcu, Ertugrul

2018-02-14

Active tunability of photonic resonances is of great interest for various applications such as optical switching and modulation based on optoelectronic materials. Manipulation of charged excitons in atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) like monolayer MoS 2 offers an unexplored route for diverse functionalities in optoelectronic nanodevices. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the dynamic photochemical and optoelectronic control of the photonic crystal Fano resonances by optical and electrical tuning of monolayer MoS 2 refractive index via trions without any chemical treatment. The strong spatial and spectral overlap between the photonic Fano mode and the active MoS 2 monolayer enables efficient modulation of the Fano resonance. Our approach offers new directions for potential applications in the development of optical modulators based on emerging 2D direct band gap semiconductors.

Tunable Nanowire Patterning Using Standing Surface Acoustic Waves

PubMed Central

Chen, Yuchao; Ding, Xiaoyun; Lin, Sz-Chin Steven; Yang, Shikuan; Huang, Po-Hsun; Nama, Nitesh; Zhao, Yanhui; Nawaz, Ahmad Ahsan; Guo, Feng; Wang, Wei; Gu, Yeyi; Mallouk, Thomas E.; Huang, Tony Jun

2014-01-01

Patterning of nanowires in a controllable, tunable manner is important for the fabrication of functional nanodevices. Here we present a simple approach for tunable nanowire patterning using standing surface acoustic waves (SSAW). This technique allows for the construction of large-scale nanowire arrays with well-controlled patterning geometry and spacing within 5 seconds. In this approach, SSAWs were generated by interdigital transducers (IDTs), which induced a periodic alternating current (AC) electric field on the piezoelectric substrate and consequently patterned metallic nanowires in suspension. The patterns could be deposited onto the substrate after the liquid evaporated. By controlling the distribution of the SSAW field, metallic nanowires were assembled into different patterns including parallel and perpendicular arrays. The spacing of the nanowire arrays could be tuned by controlling the frequency of the surface acoustic waves. Additionally, we observed 3D spark-shape nanowire patterns in the SSAW field. The SSAW-based nanowire-patterning technique presented here possesses several advantages over alternative patterning approaches, including high versatility, tunability, and efficiency, making it promising for device applications. PMID:23540330

Inhibition of Toll-Like Receptor Signaling as a Promising Therapy for Inflammatory Diseases: A Journey from Molecular to Nano Therapeutics

PubMed Central

Gao, Wei; Xiong, Ye; Li, Qiang; Yang, Hong

2017-01-01

The recognition of invading pathogens and endogenous molecules from damaged tissues by toll-like receptors (TLRs) triggers protective self-defense mechanisms. However, excessive TLR activation disrupts the immune homeostasis by sustained pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines production and consequently contributes to the development of many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), infection-associated sepsis, atherosclerosis, and asthma. Therefore, inhibitors/antagonists targeting TLR signals may be beneficial to treat these disorders. In this article, we first briefly summarize the pathophysiological role of TLRs in the inflammatory diseases. We then focus on reviewing the current knowledge in both preclinical and clinical studies of various TLR antagonists/inhibitors for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases. These compounds range from conventional small molecules to therapeutic biologics and nanodevices. In particular, nanodevices are emerging as a new class of potent TLR inhibitors for their unique properties in desired bio-distribution, sustained circulation, and preferred pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles. More interestingly, the inhibitory activity of these nanodevices can be regulated through precise nano-functionalization, making them the next generation therapeutics or “nano-drugs.” Although, significant efforts have been made in developing different kinds of new TLR inhibitors/antagonists, only limited numbers of them have undergone clinical trials, and none have been approved for clinical uses to date. Nevertheless, these findings and continuous studies of TLR inhibition highlight the pharmacological regulation of TLR signaling, especially on multiple TLR pathways, as future promising therapeutic strategy for various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. PMID:28769820

National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-01

Engineering complex, theranostic-based nanoparticles and nanodevices to target therapies and diagnose the progress of treatments. • Adopting new materials...the occurrence, fate, and effects of naturally-occurring and engineered chemical contami- nants in aquatic environments, or research on methods of

Ordered biological nanostructures formed from chaperonin polypeptides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trent, Jonathan D. (Inventor); McMillan, R. Andrew (Inventor); Paavola, Chad D. (Inventor); Kagawa, Hiromi (Inventor)

2010-01-01

The following application relates to nanotemplates, nanostructures, nanoarrays and nanodevices formed from wild-type and mutated chaperonin polypeptides, methods of producing such compositions, methods of using such compositions and particular chaperonin polypeptides that can be utilized in producing such compositions.

Sandia National Laboratories: Research: Research Foundations: Nanodevices

Science.gov Websites

; Technology Defense Systems & Assessments About Defense Systems & Assessments Program Areas Robotics R&D 100 Awards Laboratory Directed Research & Development Technology Deployment Centers Audit Sandia's Economic Impact Licensing & Technology Transfer Browse Technology Portfolios

Using natural language processing techniques to inform research on nanotechnology

PubMed Central

Lewinski, Nastassja A

2015-01-01

Summary Literature in the field of nanotechnology is exponentially increasing with more and more engineered nanomaterials being created, characterized, and tested for performance and safety. With the deluge of published data, there is a need for natural language processing approaches to semi-automate the cataloguing of engineered nanomaterials and their associated physico-chemical properties, performance, exposure scenarios, and biological effects. In this paper, we review the different informatics methods that have been applied to patent mining, nanomaterial/device characterization, nanomedicine, and environmental risk assessment. Nine natural language processing (NLP)-based tools were identified: NanoPort, NanoMapper, TechPerceptor, a Text Mining Framework, a Nanodevice Analyzer, a Clinical Trial Document Classifier, Nanotoxicity Searcher, NanoSifter, and NEIMiner. We conclude with recommendations for sharing NLP-related tools through online repositories to broaden participation in nanoinformatics. PMID:26199848

A two-in-one superhydrophobic and anti-reflective nanodevice in the grey cicada Cicada orni (Hemiptera)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dellieu, Louis; Sarrazin, Michaël; Simonis, Priscilla; Deparis, Olivier; Vigneron, Jean Pol

2014-07-01

Two separated levels of functionality are identified in the nanostructure which covers the wings of the grey cicada Cicada orni (Hemiptera). The upper level is responsible for superhydrophobic character of the wing, while the lower level enhances its anti-reflective behavior. Extensive wetting experiments with various chemical species and optical measurements were performed in order to assess the bi-functionality. Scanning electron microscopy imaging was used to identify the nanostructure morphology. Numerical optical simulations and analytical wetting models were used to prove the roles of both levels of the nanostructure. In addition, the complex refractive index of the chitinous material of the wing was determined from measurements.

Coupling carbon nanomaterials with photochromic molecules for the generation of optically responsive materials

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaoyan; Hou, Lili; Samorì, Paolo

2016-01-01

Multifunctional carbon-based nanomaterials offer routes towards the realization of smart and high-performing (opto)electronic (nano)devices, sensors and logic gates. Meanwhile photochromic molecules exhibit reversible transformation between two forms, induced by the absorption of electromagnetic radiation. By combining carbon-based nanomaterials with photochromic molecules, one can achieve reversible changes in geometrical structure, electronic properties and nanoscale mechanics triggering by light. This thus enables a reversible modulation of numerous physical and chemical properties of the carbon-based nanomaterials towards the fabrication of cognitive devices. This review examines the state of the art with respect to these responsive materials, and seeks to identify future directions for investigation. PMID:27067387

Silicon nanodisk array with a fin field-effect transistor for time-domain weighted sum calculation toward massively parallel spiking neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tohara, Takashi; Liang, Haichao; Tanaka, Hirofumi; Igarashi, Makoto; Samukawa, Seiji; Endo, Kazuhiko; Takahashi, Yasuo; Morie, Takashi

2016-03-01

A nanodisk array connected with a fin field-effect transistor is fabricated and analyzed for spiking neural network applications. This nanodevice performs weighted sums in the time domain using rising slopes of responses triggered by input spike pulses. The nanodisk arrays, which act as a resistance of several giga-ohms, are fabricated using a self-assembly bio-nano-template technique. Weighted sums are achieved with an energy dissipation on the order of 1 fJ, where the number of inputs can be more than one hundred. This amount of energy is several orders of magnitude lower than that of conventional digital processors.

Sandia National Laboratories: 100 Resilient Cities

Science.gov Websites

Materials Science Nanodevices & Microsystems Radiation Effects & High Energy Density Science front of monitors Emergency Response Cognitive testing Psychological/ Cognitive Effects The Rockefeller Body's Systems - 100 Resilient Cities Blog News Releases City resilience: Sandia analyzes effects of

High carrier concentration ZnO nanowire arrays for binder-free conductive support of supercapacitors electrodes by Al doping.

PubMed

Zheng, Xin; Sun, Yihui; Yan, Xiaoqin; Sun, Xu; Zhang, Guangjie; Zhang, Qian; Jiang, Yaru; Gao, Wenchao; Zhang, Yue

2016-12-15

Doping semiconductor nanowires (NWs) for altering their electrical and optical properties is a critical strategy for tailoring the performance of nanodevices. Here, we prepared in situ Al-doped ZnO nanowire arrays by using continuous flow injection (CFI) hydrothermal method to promote the conductivity. This reasonable method offers highly stable precursor concentration for doping that effectively avoid the appearance of the low conductivity ZnO nanosheets. Benefit from this, three orders of magnitude rise of the carrier concentration from 10 16 cm -3 to 10 19 cm -3 can be achieved compared with the common hydrothermal (CH) mothed in Mott-Schottky measurement. Possible effect of Al-doping was discussed by first-principle theory. On this basis, Al-doped ZnO nanowire arrays was developed as a binder-free conductive support for supercapacitor electrodes and high capacitance was triggered. It is owing to the dramatically decreased transfer resistance induced by the growing free-moving electrons and holes. Our results have a profound significance not merely in the controlled synthesis of other doping nanomaterials by co-precipitation method but also in the application of binder-free energy materials or other materials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tuning charge and correlation effects for a single molecule on a graphene device

DOE PAGES

Wickenburg, Sebastian; Lu, Jiong; Lischner, Johannes; ...

2016-11-25

The ability to understand and control the electronic properties of individual molecules in a device environment is crucial for developing future technologies at the nanometre scale and below. Achieving this, however, requires the creation of three-terminal devices that allow single molecules to be both gated and imaged at the atomic scale. We have accomplished this by integrating a graphene field effect transistor with a scanning tunnelling microscope, thus allowing gate-controlled charging and spectroscopic interrogation of individual tetrafluoro-tetracyanoquinodimethane molecules. We observe a non-rigid shift in the molecule’s lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy (relative to the Dirac point) as a function ofmore » gate voltage due to graphene polarization effects. Our results show that electron–electron interactions play an important role in how molecular energy levels align to the graphene Dirac point, and may significantly influence charge transport through individual molecules incorporated in graphene-based nanodevices.« less

Ratchet without spatial asymmetry for controlling the motion of magnetic flux quanta using time-asymmetric drives.

PubMed

Cole, David; Bending, Simon; Savel'ev, Sergey; Grigorenko, Alexander; Tamegai, Tsuyoshi; Nori, Franco

2006-04-01

Initially inspired by biological motors, new types of nanodevice have been proposed for controlling the motion of nanoparticles. Structures incorporating spatially asymmetric potential profiles (ratchet substrates) have been realized experimentally to manipulate vortices in superconductors, particles in asymmetric silicon pores, as well as charged particles through artificial pores and arrays of optical tweezers. Using theoretical ideas, we demonstrate experimentally how to guide flux quanta in layered superconductors using a drive that is asymmetric in time instead of being asymmetric in space. By varying the time-asymmetry of the drive, we are able experimentally to increase or decrease the density of magnetic flux at the centre of superconducting samples that have no spatial ratchet substrate. This is the first ratchet without a ratchet potential. The experimental results can be well described by numerical simulations considering the dragging effect of two types of vortices penetrating layered superconductors in tilted magnetic fields.

Side-to-Side Cold Welding for Controllable Nanogap Formation from "Dumbbell" Ultrathin Gold Nanorods.

PubMed

Dai, Gaole; Wang, Binjun; Xu, Shang; Lu, Yang; Shen, Yajing

2016-06-01

Cold welding has been regarded as a promising bottom-up nanofabrication technique because of its ability to join metallic nanostructures at room temperature with low applied stress and without introducing damage. Usually, the cold welding process can be done instantaneously for ultrathin nanowires (diameter <10 nm) in "head-to-head" joining. Here, we demonstrate that "dumbbell" shaped ultrathin gold nanorods can be cold welded in the "side-to-side" mode in a highly controllable manner and can form an extremely small nanogap via a relatively slow welding process (up to tens of minutes, allowing various functional applications). By combining in situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopic analysis and molecular dynamic simulations, we further reveal the underlying mechanism for this "side-to-side" welding process as being dominated by atom kinetics instead of thermodynamics, which provides critical insights into three-dimensional nanosystem integration as well as the building of functional nanodevices.

Tuning the Slide-Roll Motion Mode of Carbon Nanotubes via Hydroxyl Groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Rui; Wang, Shiwei; Peng, Qing

2018-05-01

Controlling the motion of carbon nanotubes is critical in manipulating nanodevices, including nanorobots. Herein, we investigate the motion behavior of SWCNT (10,10) on Si substrate utilizing molecular dynamics simulations. We show that hydroxyl groups have sensitive effect on the carbon nanotube's motion mode. When the hydroxyl groups' ratio on carbon nanotube and silicon substrate surfaces is larger than 10 and 20%, respectively, the motion of carbon nanotube transforms from sliding to rolling. When the hydroxyl groups' ratio is smaller, the slide or roll mode can be controlled by the speed of carbon nanotube, which is ultimately determined by the competition between the interface potential energy and kinetic energy. The change of motion mode holds true for different carbon nanotubes with hydroxyl groups. The chirality has little effect on the motion behavior, as opposed to the diameter, attributed to the hydroxyl groups' ratio. Our study suggests a new route to control the motion behavior of carbon nanotube via hydroxyl groups.

Tuning the Slide-Roll Motion Mode of Carbon Nanotubes via Hydroxyl Groups.

PubMed

Li, Rui; Wang, Shiwei; Peng, Qing

2018-05-08

Controlling the motion of carbon nanotubes is critical in manipulating nanodevices, including nanorobots. Herein, we investigate the motion behavior of SWCNT (10,10) on Si substrate utilizing molecular dynamics simulations. We show that hydroxyl groups have sensitive effect on the carbon nanotube's motion mode. When the hydroxyl groups' ratio on carbon nanotube and silicon substrate surfaces is larger than 10 and 20%, respectively, the motion of carbon nanotube transforms from sliding to rolling. When the hydroxyl groups' ratio is smaller, the slide or roll mode can be controlled by the speed of carbon nanotube, which is ultimately determined by the competition between the interface potential energy and kinetic energy. The change of motion mode holds true for different carbon nanotubes with hydroxyl groups. The chirality has little effect on the motion behavior, as opposed to the diameter, attributed to the hydroxyl groups' ratio. Our study suggests a new route to control the motion behavior of carbon nanotube via hydroxyl groups.

Field-Effect Control of Graphene-Fullerene Thermoelectric Nanodevices.

PubMed

Gehring, Pascal; Harzheim, Achim; Spièce, Jean; Sheng, Yuewen; Rogers, Gregory; Evangeli, Charalambos; Mishra, Aadarsh; Robinson, Benjamin J; Porfyrakis, Kyriakos; Warner, Jamie H; Kolosov, Oleg V; Briggs, G Andrew D; Mol, Jan A

2017-11-08

Although it was demonstrated that discrete molecular levels determine the sign and magnitude of the thermoelectric effect in single-molecule junctions, full electrostatic control of these levels has not been achieved to date. Here, we show that graphene nanogaps combined with gold microheaters serve as a testbed for studying single-molecule thermoelectricity. Reduced screening of the gate electric field compared to conventional metal electrodes allows control of the position of the dominant transport orbital by hundreds of meV. We find that the power factor of graphene-fullerene junctions can be tuned over several orders of magnitude to a value close to the theoretical limit of an isolated Breit-Wigner resonance. Furthermore, our data suggest that the power factor of an isolated level is only given by the tunnel coupling to the leads and temperature. These results open up new avenues for exploring thermoelectricity and charge transport in individual molecules and highlight the importance of level alignment and coupling to the electrodes for optimum energy conversion in organic thermoelectric materials.

Nanotechnology Applications for Glaucoma.

PubMed

Cetinel, Sibel; Montemagno, Carlo

2016-01-01

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, and the antiglaucoma treatments currently available suffer from various complications. Nanotechnology-based treatments show a great deal of promise in overcoming these complications and form the basis for next-generation glaucoma treatment strategies, with the help of applications such as controlled release, targeted delivery, increased bioavailability, diffusion limitations, and biocompatibility. Significant progress has been made in nanomedicine in the efficiency of antiglaucoma medications, nanofabrication systems such as microelectromechanical systems that remove the limitations of nanodevices, and tissue regeneration vesicles for developing glaucoma treatments not based on intraocular pressure. With the use of these advanced technologies, the prevention of glaucoma-induced blindness will be possible in the near future. Herein, we reviewed the recent advances in nanotechnology-based treatment strategies for glaucoma.

The Self-Assembly of DNA Nanostructures for use as Organizing Templates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samec, Timothy; Cholewinski, Mitchell; Reamer, Nickalas; Reardon, Michael; Ford, Arlene

There is growing interest in the self-assembling capabilities of DNA to create functional nanodevices for use in cancer detection and treatment. One important reason for this interest is that DNA nanostructures are highly programmable molecules. This means that these structures allow for increased stability and control when designing biomacromolecules via adhesion of plasmonic nanoparticles and other similar materials. Our current work reports on the procedure and construction of hexagonal two-dimensional DNA lattice structures using three specific DNA single strands. We also reflect on several barriers that were presented during fabrication as well as the adaptations made to overcome the aforementioned barriers by improving the quality, reproducibility, and yield of the hexagonal two-dimensional DNA lattice as organizing templates.

Nonequilibrium Energy Transfer at Nanoscale: A Unified Theory from Weak to Strong Coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chen; Ren, Jie; Cao, Jianshu

2015-07-01

Unraveling the microscopic mechanism of quantum energy transfer across two-level systems provides crucial insights to the optimal design and potential applications of low-dimensional nanodevices. Here, we study the non-equilibrium spin-boson model as a minimal prototype and develop a fluctuation-decoupled quantum master equation approach that is valid ranging from the weak to the strong system-bath coupling regime. The exact expression of energy flux is analytically established, which dissects the energy transfer as multiple boson processes with even and odd parity. Our analysis provides a unified interpretation of several observations, including coherence-enhanced heat flux and negative differential thermal conductance. The results will have broad implications for the fine control of energy transfer in nano-structural devices.

Laboratory Assessment of Nano-Silver Transport in Sand Columns Using Complex Conductivity Measurements

EPA Science Inventory

Nano-materials are emerging into the global marketplace. Nano-particles, and other throwaway nano-devices may constitute a whole new class of non-biodegradable pollutants of which scientists have very little understanding. Therefore, the production of significant quantities of n...

Entropy production in photovoltaic-thermoelectric nanodevices from the non-equilibrium Green’s function formalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michelini, Fabienne; Crépieux, Adeline; Beltako, Katawoura

2017-05-01

We discuss some thermodynamic aspects of energy conversion in electronic nanosystems able to convert light energy into electrical or/and thermal energy using the non-equilibrium Green’s function formalism. In a first part, we derive the photon energy and particle currents inside a nanosystem interacting with light and in contact with two electron reservoirs at different temperatures. Energy conservation is verified, and radiation laws are discussed from electron non-equilibrium Green’s functions. We further use the photon currents to formulate the rate of entropy production for steady-state nanosystems, and we recast this rate in terms of efficiency for specific photovoltaic-thermoelectric nanodevices. In a second part, a quantum dot based nanojunction is closely examined using a two-level model. We show analytically that the rate of entropy production is always positive, but we find numerically that it can reach negative values when the derived particule and energy currents are empirically modified as it is usually done for modeling realistic photovoltaic systems.

Entropy production in photovoltaic-thermoelectric nanodevices from the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism.

PubMed

Michelini, Fabienne; Crépieux, Adeline; Beltako, Katawoura

2017-05-04

We discuss some thermodynamic aspects of energy conversion in electronic nanosystems able to convert light energy into electrical or/and thermal energy using the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism. In a first part, we derive the photon energy and particle currents inside a nanosystem interacting with light and in contact with two electron reservoirs at different temperatures. Energy conservation is verified, and radiation laws are discussed from electron non-equilibrium Green's functions. We further use the photon currents to formulate the rate of entropy production for steady-state nanosystems, and we recast this rate in terms of efficiency for specific photovoltaic-thermoelectric nanodevices. In a second part, a quantum dot based nanojunction is closely examined using a two-level model. We show analytically that the rate of entropy production is always positive, but we find numerically that it can reach negative values when the derived particule and energy currents are empirically modified as it is usually done for modeling realistic photovoltaic systems.

Softened Mechanical Properties of Graphene Induced by Electric Field.

PubMed

Huang, Peng; Guo, Dan; Xie, Guoxin; Li, Jian

2017-10-11

The understanding on the mechanical properties of graphene under the applications of physical fields is highly relevant to the reliability and lifetime of graphene-based nanodevices. In this work, we demonstrate that the application of electric field could soften the mechanical properties of graphene dramatically on the basis of the conductive AFM nanoindentation method. It has been found that the Young's modulus and fracture strength of graphene nanosheets suspended on the holes almost stay the same initially and then exhibit a sharp drop when the normalized electric field strength increases to be 0.18 ± 0.03 V/nm. The threshold voltage of graphene nanosheets before the onset of fracture under the fixed applied load increases with the thickness. Supported graphene nanosheets can sustain larger electric field under the same applied load than the suspended ones. The excessively regional Joule heating caused by the high electric current under the applied load is responsible for the electromechanical failure of graphene. These findings can provide a beneficial guideline for the electromechanical applications of graphene-based nanodevices.

Electron-beam induced nano-etching of suspended graphene

PubMed Central

Sommer, Benedikt; Sonntag, Jens; Ganczarczyk, Arkadius; Braam, Daniel; Prinz, Günther; Lorke, Axel; Geller, Martin

2015-01-01

Besides its interesting physical properties, graphene as a two-dimensional lattice of carbon atoms promises to realize devices with exceptional electronic properties, where freely suspended graphene without contact to any substrate is the ultimate, truly two-dimensional system. The practical realization of nano-devices from suspended graphene, however, relies heavily on finding a structuring method which is minimally invasive. Here, we report on the first electron beam-induced nano-etching of suspended graphene and demonstrate high-resolution etching down to ~7 nm for line-cuts into the monolayer graphene. We investigate the structural quality of the etched graphene layer using two-dimensional (2D) Raman maps and demonstrate its high electronic quality in a nano-device: A 25 nm-wide suspended graphene nanoribbon (GNR) that shows a transport gap with a corresponding energy of ~60 meV. This is an important step towards fast and reliable patterning of suspended graphene for future ballistic transport, nano-electronic and nano-mechanical devices. PMID:25586495

Highly-Ordered 3D Vertical Resistive Switching Memory Arrays with Ultralow Power Consumption and Ultrahigh Density.

PubMed

Al-Haddad, Ahmed; Wang, Chengliang; Qi, Haoyuan; Grote, Fabian; Wen, Liaoyong; Bernhard, Jörg; Vellacheri, Ranjith; Tarish, Samar; Nabi, Ghulam; Kaiser, Ute; Lei, Yong

2016-09-07

Resistive switching random access memories (RRAM) have attracted great scientific and industrial attention for next generation data storage because of their advantages of nonvolatile properties, high density, low power consumption, fast writing/erasing speed, good endurance, and simple and small operation system. Here, by using a template-assisted technique, we demonstrate a three-dimensional highly ordered vertical RRAM device array with density as high as that of the nanopores of the template (10(8)-10(9) cm(-2)), which can also be fabricated in large area. The high crystallinity of the materials, the large contact area and the intimate semiconductor/electrode interface (3 nm interfacial layer) make the ultralow voltage operation (millivolt magnitude) and ultralow power consumption (picowatt) possible. Our procedure for fabrication of the nanodevice arrays in large area can be used for producing many other different materials and such three-dimensional electronic device arrays with the capability to adjust the device densities can be extended to other applications of the next generation nanodevice technology.

Raman mapping probing of tip-induced anomalous polarization behavior in V2O5 waveguiding nanoribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Bin; Du, Chaoling; Liao, Lei; You, Yumeng; Cheng, Hao; Shen, Zexiang; Yu, Ting

2010-02-01

Spatially resolved and polarized micro-Raman spectroscopy has been performed on individual V2O5 waveguiding nanoribbons. The experimental results establish that the Raman-antenna patterns are strongly correlated with the local positions of the sample, which gives rise to a pronounced intensity contrast in the polarized mapping for certain phonon modes. The suppressed phonon signals at the body of a ribbon can be enhanced at the end facets, resulting from the effective waveguiding propagation along the nanoribbon and strong local electric field intensity at the ends. The phenomena reported here, in addition to providing insight into the tip effects on optoelectronic nanodevices, will facilitate the rational design of Raman detection in nanostructures.

Electronic structure of graphene- and BN-supported phosphorene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davletshin, Artur R.; Ustiuzhanina, Svetlana V.; Kistanov, Andrey A.; Saadatmand, Danial; Dmitriev, Sergey V.; Zhou, Kun; Korznikova, Elena A.

2018-04-01

By using first-principles calculations, the effects of graphene and boron nitride (BN) substrates on the electronic properties of phosphorene are studied. Graphene-supported phosphorene is found to be metallic, while the BN-supported phosphorene is a semiconductor with a moderate band gap of 1.02 eV. Furthermore, the effects of the van der Waals interactions between the phosphorene and graphene or BN layers by means of the interlayer distance change are investigated. It is shown that the interlayer distance change leads to significant band gap size modulations and direct-indirect band gap transitions in the phosphorene-BN heterostructure. The presented band gap engineering of phosphorene may be a powerful technique for the fabrication of high-performance phosphorene-based nanodevices.

Recent Advances in Nanoporous Membranes for Water Purification

PubMed Central

Wang, Zhuqing; Colombi Ciacchi, Lucio

2018-01-01

Nanoporous materials exhibit wide applications in the fields of electrocatalysis, nanodevice fabrication, energy, and environmental science, as well as analytical science. In this review, we present a summary of recent studies on nanoporous membranes for water purification application. The types and fabrication strategies of various nanoporous membranes are first introduced, and then the fabricated nanoporous membranes for removing various water pollutants, such as salt, metallic ions, anions, nanoparticles, organic chemicals, and biological substrates, are demonstrated and discussed. This work will be valuable for readers to understand the design and fabrication of various nanoporous membranes, and their potential purification mechanisms towards different water pollutants. In addition, it will be helpful for developing new nanoporous materials for quick, economic, and high-performance water purification. PMID:29370128

An overview of self-switching diode rectifiers using green materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasjoo, Shahrir Rizal; Zailan, Zarimawaty; Zakaria, Nor Farhani; Isa, Muammar Mohamad; Arshad, Mohd Khairuddin Md; Taking, Sanna

2017-09-01

A unipolar two-terminal nanodevice, known as the self-switching diode (SSD), has recently been demonstrated as a room-temperature rectifier at microwave and terahertz frequencies due to its nonlinear current-voltage characteristic. The planar architecture of SSD not only makes the fabrication process of the device faster, simpler and at a lower cost when compared with other rectifying diodes, but also allows the use of various materials to realize and fabricate SSDs. This includes the utilization of `green' materials such as organic and graphene thin films for environmental sustainability. This paper reviews the properties of current `green' SSD rectifiers with respect to their operating frequencies and rectifying performances, including responsivity and noise-equivalent power of the devices, along with the applications.

Plasmonic nanorod arrays of a two-segment dimer and a coaxial cable with 1 nm gap for large field confinement and enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Zi-Qiang; Nan, Fan; Yang, Da-Jie; Zhong, Yu-Ting; Ma, Liang; Hao, Zhong-Hua; Zhou, Li; Wang, Qu-Quan

2015-01-01

Seeking plasmonic nanostructures with large field confinement and enhancement is significant for photonic and electronic nanodevices with high sensitivity, reproducibility, and tunability. Here, we report the synthesis of plasmonic arrays composed of two-segment dimer nanorods and coaxial cable nanorods with ~1 nm gap insulated by a self-assembled Raman molecule monolayer. The gap-induced plasmon coupling generates an intense field in the gap region of the dimer junction and the cable interlayer. As a result, the longitudinal plasmon resonance of nanorod arrays with high tunability is obviously enhanced. Most interestingly, the field enhancement of dimer nanorod arrays can be tuned by the length ratio L1/L2 of the two segments, and the maximal enhancement appears at L1/L2 = 1. In that case, the two-photon luminescence (TPL) of dimer nanorod arrays and the Raman intensity in the dimer junction is enhanced by 27 and 30 times, respectively, under resonant excitation. In the same way, the Raman intensity in the gap region is enhanced 16 times for the coaxial cable nanorod arrays. The plasmonic nanorod arrays synthesized by the facile method, having tunable plasmon properties and large field enhancement, indicate an attractive pathway to the photonic nanodevices.Seeking plasmonic nanostructures with large field confinement and enhancement is significant for photonic and electronic nanodevices with high sensitivity, reproducibility, and tunability. Here, we report the synthesis of plasmonic arrays composed of two-segment dimer nanorods and coaxial cable nanorods with ~1 nm gap insulated by a self-assembled Raman molecule monolayer. The gap-induced plasmon coupling generates an intense field in the gap region of the dimer junction and the cable interlayer. As a result, the longitudinal plasmon resonance of nanorod arrays with high tunability is obviously enhanced. Most interestingly, the field enhancement of dimer nanorod arrays can be tuned by the length ratio L1/L2 of the two segments, and the maximal enhancement appears at L1/L2 = 1. In that case, the two-photon luminescence (TPL) of dimer nanorod arrays and the Raman intensity in the dimer junction is enhanced by 27 and 30 times, respectively, under resonant excitation. In the same way, the Raman intensity in the gap region is enhanced 16 times for the coaxial cable nanorod arrays. The plasmonic nanorod arrays synthesized by the facile method, having tunable plasmon properties and large field enhancement, indicate an attractive pathway to the photonic nanodevices. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr05544f

Novel pH-sensitive multifunctional envelope-type nanodevice for siRNA-based treatments for chronic HBV infection.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Naoki; Sato, Yusuke; Munakata, Tsubasa; Kakuni, Masakazu; Tateno, Chise; Sanada, Takahiro; Hirata, Yuichi; Murakami, Shuko; Tanaka, Yasuhito; Chayama, Kazuaki; Hatakeyama, Hiroto; Hyodo, Mamoru; Harashima, Hideyoshi; Kohara, Michinori

2016-03-01

Antiviral agents including entecavir (ETV) suppress the replication of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome in human hepatocytes, but they do not reduce the abundance of viral proteins. The present study focused on effectively reducing viral protein levels. We designed siRNAs (HBV-siRNA) that target consensus sequences in HBV genomes. To prevent the emergence of escaped mutant virus, we mixed three HBV-siRNAs (HBV-siRNAmix); the mixture was encapsulated in a novel pH-sensitive multifunctional envelope-type nanodevice (MEND), a hepatocyte-specific drug delivery system. Coagulation factor 7 siRNA was used to assess delivery and knockdown efficiencies of MEND/siRNA treatments in mice. The potency of MEND/HBV-siRNAmix was evaluated in primary human hepatocytes and in chimeric mice with humanized liver persistently infected with HBV. Effective knockdown of targets, efficient delivery of siRNA, and liver-specific delivery were each observed with MEND. MEND/HBV-siRNA caused efficient reduction of HBsAg and HBeAg in vitro and in vivo. However, ETV treatment did not efficiently reduce HBsAg or HBeAg when compared with a single MEND/HBV-siRNAmix treatment. Furthermore, the suppressive effects of a single dose of MEND/HBV-siRNAmix persisted for 14days in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that MEND/HBV-siRNA controlled HBV more efficiently than did ETV. Furthermore, the effect of a single dose of MEND/HBV-siRNA persisted for a long time. These results indicated that MEND/HBV-siRNA may be a promising novel HBV treatment that is more effective than reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Copyright © 2015 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Controlled Phase and Tunable Magnetism in Ordered Iron Oxide Nanotube Arrays Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yijun; Liu, Ming; Peng, Bin; Zhou, Ziyao; Chen, Xing; Yang, Shu-Ming; Jiang, Zhuang-De; Zhang, Jie; Ren, Wei; Ye, Zuo-Guang

2016-01-01

Highly-ordered and conformal iron oxide nanotube arrays on an atomic scale are successfully prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) with controlled oxidization states and tunable magnetic properties between superparamagnetism and ferrimagnetism. Non-magnetic α-Fe2O3 and superparamagnetic Fe3O4 with a blocking temperature of 120 K are in-situ obtained by finely controlling the oxidation reaction. Both of them exhibit a very small grain size of only several nanometers due to the nature of atom-by-atom growth of the ALD technique. Post-annealing α-Fe2O3 in a reducing atmosphere leads to the formation of the spinel Fe3O4 phase which displays a distinct ferrimagnetic anisotropy and the Verwey metal-insulator transition that usually takes place only in single crystal magnetite or thick epitaxial films at low temperatures. The ALD deposition of iron oxide with well-controlled phase and tunable magnetism demonstrated in this work provides a promising opportunity for the fabrication of 3D nano-devices to be used in catalysis, spintronics, microelectronics, data storages and bio-applications.

Scalability of voltage-controlled filamentary and nanometallic resistance memory devices.

PubMed

Lu, Yang; Lee, Jong Ho; Chen, I-Wei

2017-08-31

Much effort has been devoted to device and materials engineering to realize nanoscale resistance random access memory (RRAM) for practical applications, but a rational physical basis to be relied on to design scalable devices spanning many length scales is still lacking. In particular, there is no clear criterion for switching control in those RRAM devices in which resistance changes are limited to localized nanoscale filaments that experience concentrated heat, electric current and field. Here, we demonstrate voltage-controlled resistance switching, always at a constant characteristic critical voltage, for macro and nanodevices in both filamentary RRAM and nanometallic RRAM, and the latter switches uniformly and does not require a forming process. As a result, area-scalability can be achieved under a device-area-proportional current compliance for the low resistance state of the filamentary RRAM, and for both the low and high resistance states of the nanometallic RRAM. This finding will help design area-scalable RRAM at the nanoscale. It also establishes an analogy between RRAM and synapses, in which signal transmission is also voltage-controlled.

Spintronic Nanodevices Defines by Nanolithography

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-15

investigated carbon coated LiFePO4 particles that are being developed for cathodes in electric and hybrid vehicles. Using Energy Filtered Imaging we...Society, Cancun, Mexico, October 29-Novemver 3 2006. 6. ’TEM studies of carbon coated LiFePO4 after charge discharge cycling", H. Gabrisch, J. Wilcox

The Frontiers of Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine (SIG MED).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lei, Polin P.

2000-01-01

This abstract of a planned session on the future of medicine explains the use of nanotechnology in medicine to manipulate biomolecules that regulate life and death processes and to help improve health care delivery. Topics include nanodevices for drug delivery, cancer detection and cure, and repairing genes. (LRW)

Sensing the Presence and Transport of Engineered Nanoparticles in Saturated PorousMedia using Spectral Induced Polarization (SIP) Method

EPA Science Inventory

Nano-materials are emerging into the global marketplace. Engineered Nano-particles, and other throwaway nanodevices may constitute a whole new class of non-biodegradable pollutants of which scientists have very little understanding. Therefore, the production of significant quanti...

Nucleic Acid Engineering: RNA Following the Trail of DNA.

PubMed

Kim, Hyejin; Park, Yongkuk; Kim, Jieun; Jeong, Jaepil; Han, Sangwoo; Lee, Jae Sung; Lee, Jong Bum

2016-02-08

The self-assembly feature of the naturally occurring biopolymer, DNA, has fascinated researchers in the fields of materials science and bioengineering. With the improved understanding of the chemical and structural nature of DNA, DNA-based constructs have been designed and fabricated from two-dimensional arbitrary shapes to reconfigurable three-dimensional nanodevices. Although DNA has been used successfully as a building block in a finely organized and controlled manner, its applications need to be explored. Hence, with the myriad of biological functions, RNA has recently attracted considerable attention to further the application of nucleic acid-based structures. This Review categorizes different approaches of engineering nucleic acid-based structures and introduces the concepts, principles, and applications of each technique, focusing on how DNA engineering is applied as a guide to RNA engineering.

Nonequilibrium Energy Transfer at Nanoscale: A Unified Theory from Weak to Strong Coupling

PubMed Central

Wang, Chen; Ren, Jie; Cao, Jianshu

2015-01-01

Unraveling the microscopic mechanism of quantum energy transfer across two-level systems provides crucial insights to the optimal design and potential applications of low-dimensional nanodevices. Here, we study the non-equilibrium spin-boson model as a minimal prototype and develop a fluctuation-decoupled quantum master equation approach that is valid ranging from the weak to the strong system-bath coupling regime. The exact expression of energy flux is analytically established, which dissects the energy transfer as multiple boson processes with even and odd parity. Our analysis provides a unified interpretation of several observations, including coherence-enhanced heat flux and negative differential thermal conductance. The results will have broad implications for the fine control of energy transfer in nano-structural devices. PMID:26152705

Functionalizing graphene by embedded boron clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quandt, Alexander; Kunstmann, Jens; Ozdogan, Cem; Fehske, Holger

2010-03-01

We present results from an ab initio study of B7 clusters implanted into graphene [1,2]. Our model system consists of an alternating chain of quasiplanar B7 clusters. We show that graphene easily accepts these alternating B7-C6 chains and that the implanted boron components may dramatically modify the electronic properties. This suggests that our model system might serve as a blueprint for the controlled layout of graphene based nanodevices, where the semiconducting properties are supplemented by parts of the graphene matrix itself, and the basic metallic wiring is provided by alternating chains of implanted boron clusters. [1] A. Quandt, C. "Ozdogan, J. Kunstmann, and H. Fehske, Nanotechnology 19, 335707 (2008). [2] A. Quandt, C. "Ozdogan, J. Kunstmann, and H. Fehske, phys. stat. solidi (b) 245, 2077 (2008).

Ultra-low-loss optical fiber nanotapers.

PubMed

Brambilla, Gilberto; Finazzi, Vittoria; Richardson, David

2004-05-17

Optical fiber tapers with a waist size larger than 1microm are commonplace in telecommunications and sensor applications. However the fabrication of low-loss optical fiber tapers with subwavelength diameters was previously thought to be impractical due to difficulties associated with control of the surface roughness and diameter uniformity. In this paper we show that very-long ultra-low-loss tapers can in fact be produced using a conventional fiber taper rig incorporating a simple burner configuration. For single-mode operation, the optical losses we achieve at 1.55microm are one order of magnitude lower than losses previously reported in the literature for tapers of a similar size. SEM images confirm excellent taper uniformity. We believe that these low-loss structures should pave the way to a whole range of fiber nanodevices.

Performance Investigation of Multilayer MoS2 Thin-Film Transistors Fabricated via Mask-free Optically Induced Electrodeposition.

PubMed

Li, Meng; Liu, Na; Li, Pan; Shi, Jialin; Li, Guangyong; Xi, Ning; Wang, Yuechao; Liu, Lianqing

2017-03-08

Transition metal dichalcogenides, particularly MoS 2 , have recently received enormous interest in explorations of the physics and technology of nanodevice applications because of their excellent optical and electronic properties. Although monolayer MoS 2 has been extensively investigated for various possible applications, its difficulty of fabrication renders it less appealing than multilayer MoS 2 . Moreover, multilayer MoS 2 , with its inherent high electronic/photonic state densities, has higher output driving capabilities and can better satisfy the ever-increasing demand for versatile devices. Here, we present multilayer MoS 2 back-gate thin-film transistors (TFTs) that can achieve a relatively low subthreshold swing of 0.75 V/decade and a high mobility of 41 cm 2 ·V -1 ·s -1 , which exceeds the typical mobility value of state-of-the-art amorphous silicon-based TFTs by a factor of 80. Ag and Au electrode-based MoS 2 TFTs were fabricated by a convenient and rapid process. Then we performed a detailed analysis of the impacts of metal contacts and MoS 2 film thickness on electronic performance. Our findings show that smoother metal contacts exhibit better electronic characteristics and that MoS 2 film thickness should be controlled within a reasonable range of 30-40 nm to obtain the best mobility values, thereby providing valuable insights regarding performance enhancement for MoS 2 TFTs. Additionally, to overcome the limitations of the conventional fabrication method, we employed a novel approach known as optically induced electrodeposition (OIE), which allows the flexible and precise patterning of metal films and enables rapid and mask-free device fabrication, for TFT fabrication.

Design-Oriented Introduction of Nanotechnology into the Electrical and Computer Engineering Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Donghwi; Kamoua, Ridha; Pacelli, Andrea

2006-01-01

Nanoelectronics has the potential, and is indeed expected, to revolutionize information technology by the use of the impressive characteristics of nano-devices such as carbon nanotube transistors, molecular diodes and transistors, etc. A great effort is being put into creating an introductory course in nano-technology. However, practically all…

Harnessing Solid-State Ionic Transport for Nanomanufacturing and Nanodevices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Keng Hao

2009-01-01

Through this work a new all-solid, ambient processing condition direct metal patterning technique has been developed and characterized. This ionic-transport-based patterning technique is capable of sub-50nm feature resolution under ambient conditions. It generates features with a rate that is comparable to conventional dry-etching techniques. A…

Suspended tungsten-based nanowires with enhanced mechanical properties grown by focused ion beam induced deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Córdoba, Rosa; Lorenzoni, Matteo; Pablo-Navarro, Javier; Magén, César; Pérez-Murano, Francesc; María De Teresa, José

2017-11-01

The implementation of three-dimensional (3D) nano-objects as building blocks for the next generation of electro-mechanical, memory and sensing nano-devices is at the forefront of technology. The direct writing of functional 3D nanostructures is made feasible by using a method based on focused ion beam induced deposition (FIBID). We use this technique to grow horizontally suspended tungsten nanowires and then study their nano-mechanical properties by three-point bending method with atomic force microscopy. These measurements reveal that these nanowires exhibit a yield strength up to 12 times higher than that of the bulk tungsten, and near the theoretical value of 0.1 times the Young’s modulus (E). We find a size dependence of E that is adequately described by a core-shell model, which has been confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and compositional analysis at the nanoscale. Additionally, we show that experimental resonance frequencies of suspended nanowires (in the MHz range) are in good agreement with theoretical values. These extraordinary mechanical properties are key to designing electro-mechanically robust nanodevices based on FIBID tungsten nanowires.

Exploration work function and optical properties of monolayer SnSe allotropes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Zhen; Wang, Xia; Ding, Yingchun; Li, Meiqin

2018-02-01

The work function and optical properties are investigated with density functional theory for three monolayer SnSe allotropes. The calculated results indicate that the α-SnSe, δ-SnSe, ε-SnSe are semiconductor with the band gaps of 0.90, 1.25, and 1.50 eV, respectively. Meanwhile, the work function of δ-SnSe is lower than α-SnSe and ε-SnSe, which indicates that the δ-SnSe can be prepared of photoemission and field emission nanodevices. More importantly, the α-SnSe, δ-SnSe, ε-SnSe with the large static dielectric constants are 4.22, 5.48, and 3.61, which demonstrate that the three monolayer SnSe allotropes can be fabricated the capacitor. In addition, the static refractive index of δ-SnSe is larger than α-SnSe and ε-SnSe. The different optical properties with three monolayer SnSe allotropes reveal that the allotropes can regulate the properties of the materials. Moreover, our researched results show that the three monolayer SnSe allotropes are sufficient for fabrication of optoelectronic nanodevices.

Helicity-dependent single-walled carbon nanotube alignment on graphite for helical angle and handedness recognition

PubMed Central

Chen, Yabin; Shen, Ziyong; Xu, Ziwei; Hu, Yue; Xu, Haitao; Wang, Sheng; Guo, Xiaolei; Zhang, Yanfeng; Peng, Lianmao; Ding, Feng; Liu, Zhongfan; Zhang, Jin

2013-01-01

Aligned single-walled carbon nanotube arrays provide a great potential for the carbon-based nanodevices and circuit integration. Aligning single-walled carbon nanotubes with selected helicities and identifying their helical structures remain a daunting issue. The widely used gas-directed and surface-directed growth modes generally suffer the drawbacks of mixed and unknown helicities of the aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes. Here we develop a rational approach to anchor the single-walled carbon nanotubes on graphite surfaces, on which the orientation of each single-walled carbon nanotube sensitively depends on its helical angle and handedness. This approach can be exploited to conveniently measure both the helical angle and handedness of the single-walled carbon nanotube simultaneously at a low cost. In addition, by combining with the resonant Raman spectroscopy, the (n,m) index of anchored single-walled carbon nanotube can be further determined from the (d,θ) plot, and the assigned (n,m) values by this approach are validated by both the electronic transition energy Eii measurement and nanodevice application. PMID:23892334

Roughness evolution in dewetted Ag and Pt nanoscale films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruffino, F.; Grimaldi, M. G.

2018-01-01

The surface roughness of nanoscale metal systems plays a key role in determining the systems properties and, therefore, the electrical, optical, etc. response of nanodevices based on them. In this work, we experimentally analyze the roughness evolution in dewetting Ag and Pt films deposited on SiO2 substrate. In particular, after depositing 15 nm-thick Ag or Pt films on the SiO2 substrate, standard annealing processes were performed below the melting temperatures of the metals so to induce the solid-state dewetting of the films. The surface morphology evolution of the Ag and Pt films was studied by means of Atomic Force Microscopy analysis as a function of the annealing temperature T and of the annealing time t. In particular, these analysis allowed to quantify the roughness σ of the Ag and Pt films versus the annealing temperature T and the annealing time t. The analysis of these plots allowed us to draw combined insights on the dewetting process characteristics, on the dewetting-induced roughening properties, and on the material-dependent parameters by the comparison of the results obtained for the Ag film and the Pt film. These analysis, in addition, open perspectives towards the development of a method to produce supported metal films with controlled surface roughness for designed applications.

Montmorillonite nanodevices for the colon metronidazole delivery.

PubMed

Calabrese, Ilaria; Cavallaro, Gennara; Scialabba, Cinzia; Licciardi, Mariano; Merli, Marcello; Sciascia, Luciana; Turco Liveri, Maria Liria

2013-11-30

The adsorption profiles of the antibiotic metronidazole (MNE) into the K10-montmorillonite (MMT-K10) clay and the subsequent release have been investigated as a function of pH and MNE/MMT-K10 ratio, in order to evaluate the potential of the MNE/MMT-K10 hybrids as controlled drug delivery system. The adsorption mechanism has been first elucidated by performing complementary equilibrium and kinetic studies and through the X-ray diffractometry (XRD) characterization of the obtained composite materials. The gathered results allowed us to propose a mechanism consisting of a multi-step pathway involving the neutral and the cationic form of the drug, which interact with different sites of the clay surfaces, i.e. the interlayer region and the faces of the lamella. In a second step the drug release kinetics has been studied under physiological pH mimicking conditions simulating the oral drug administration and delivery. For the sake of comparison the commercial formulation has also been employed for the release studies. The investigation of the release profiles and the comparison with the commercial formulation of the drug reveal that the new-tailor made formulation could be fruitful exploited for successfully prolonged the action of drug in the desired site. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural DNA nanotechnology for intelligent drug delivery.

PubMed

Chao, Jie; Liu, Huajie; Su, Shao; Wang, Lianhui; Huang, Wei; Fan, Chunhai

2014-11-01

Drug delivery carriers have been popularly employed to improve solubility, stability, and efficacy of chemical and biomolecular drugs. Despite the rapid progress in this field, it remains a great challenge to develop an ideal carrier with minimal cytotoxicity, high biocompatibility and intelligence for targeted controlled release. The emergence of DNA nanotechnology offers unprecedented opportunities in this regard. Due to the unparalleled self-recognition properties of DNA molecules, it is possible to create numerous artificial DNA nanostructures with well-defined structures and DNA nanodevices with precisely controlled motions. More importantly, recent studies have proven that DNA nanostructures possess greater permeability to the membrane barrier of cells, which pave the way to developing new drug delivery carriers with nucleic acids, are summarized. In this Concept, recent advances on the design and fabrication of both static and dynamic DNA nanostructures, and the use of these nanostructures for the delivery of various types of drugs, are highlighted. It is also demonstrated that dynamic DNA nanostructures provide the required intelligence to realize logically controlled drug release. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fabrication of nanobeads from nanocups by controlling scission/crosslinking in organic polymer materials.

PubMed

Oyama, Tomoko Gowa; Oshima, Akihiro; Washio, Masakazu; Tagawa, Seiichi

2012-12-14

The development of several kinds of micro/nanofabrication techniques has resulted in many innovations in the micro/nanodevices that support today's science and technology. With feature miniaturization, the fabrication tools have shifted from light to ionizing radiation. Here, we propose a simple micro/nanofabrication technique for organic materials using a scanning beam (SB) of ionizing radiation. By controlling the scission/crosslinking of the material via three-dimensional energy-deposition distribution of the SB, appropriate solvents can easily peel off only the crosslinked region from the bulk material. The technique was demonstrated using a focused ion beam and a chlorinated organic polymer. The polymer underwent main-chain scission upon irradiation, but it crosslinked after high-dose irradiation. Appropriate solvents could easily peel off only the crosslinked region from the bulk material. The technique, 'nanobead from nanocup', enabled the production of desired structures such as nanowires and nanomembranes. It can be also applied to the micro/nanofabrication of functional materials.

Synaptic plasticity and memory functions achieved in a WO3-x-based nanoionics device by using the principle of atomic switch operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Rui; Terabe, Kazuya; Yao, Yiping; Tsuruoka, Tohru; Hasegawa, Tsuyoshi; Gimzewski, James K.; Aono, Masakazu

2013-09-01

A compact neuromorphic nanodevice with inherent learning and memory properties emulating those of biological synapses is the key to developing artificial neural networks rivaling their biological counterparts. Experimental results showed that memorization with a wide time scale from volatile to permanent can be achieved in a WO3-x-based nanoionics device and can be precisely and cumulatively controlled by adjusting the device’s resistance state and input pulse parameters such as the amplitude, interval, and number. This control is analogous to biological synaptic plasticity including short-term plasticity, long-term potentiation, transition from short-term memory to long-term memory, forgetting processes for short- and long-term memory, learning speed, and learning history. A compact WO3-x-based nanoionics device with a simple stacked layer structure should thus be a promising candidate for use as an inorganic synapse in artificial neural networks due to its striking resemblance to the biological synapse.

Composite silicon nanostructure arrays fabricated on optical fibre by chemical etching of multicrystal silicon film.

PubMed

Zuo, Zewen; Zhu, Kai; Ning, Lixin; Cui, Guanglei; Qu, Jun; Huang, Wanxia; Shi, Yi; Liu, Hong

2015-04-17

Integrating nanostructures onto optical fibers presents a promising strategy for developing new-fashioned devices and extending the scope of nanodevices' applications. Here we report the first fabrication of a composite silicon nanostructure on an optical fiber. Through direct chemical etching using an H2O2/HF solution, multicrystal silicon films with columnar microstructures are etched into a vertically aligned, inverted-cone-like nanorod array embedded in a nanocone array. A faster dissolution rate of the silicon at the void-rich boundary regions between the columns is found to be responsible for the separation of the columns, and thus the formation of the nanostructure array. The morphology of the nanorods primarily depends on the microstructure of the columns in the film. Through controlling the microstructure of the as-grown film and the etching parameters, the structural control of the nanostructure is promising. This fabrication method can be extended to a larger length scale, and it even allows roll-to-roll processing.

Sub-nanometer milling of layered materials by a focused Helium Ion Beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hongzhou; Fox, Daniel; Zhou, Yangbo; O'Connell, Robert

2014-03-01

The modification of the structure and geometry of materials at the nanoscale can be used to tailor their properties. A controllable process which can achieve this is required for the development of next generation nano-devices. We used the highly focused beam of helium ions in a helium ion microscope (HIM) to fabricate nanostructures within various layered materials such as graphene, MoS2, TiO2 and Mn2O3. Arbitrary patterns can be defined in order to produce structures such as nanoribbons. The edge configuration of atoms in such structures plays a large role in defining their properties. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning-TEM (STEM) were used to analyse the structure of the materials after milling. The direct milling of the materials by the helium ions means this approach is suitable for a wide range of nanomaterials. Complex structures can be realized via sophisticated beam control. This also results in the ability to mill along different directions in a crystal, producing edges with different configurations.

Fabrication of crystals from single metal atoms

PubMed Central

Barry, Nicolas P. E.; Pitto-Barry, Anaïs; Sanchez, Ana M.; Dove, Andrew P.; Procter, Richard J.; Soldevila-Barreda, Joan J.; Kirby, Nigel; Hands-Portman, Ian; Smith, Corinne J.; O’Reilly, Rachel K.; Beanland, Richard; Sadler, Peter J.

2014-01-01

Metal nanocrystals offer new concepts for the design of nanodevices with a range of potential applications. Currently the formation of metal nanocrystals cannot be controlled at the level of individual atoms. Here we describe a new general method for the fabrication of multi-heteroatom-doped graphitic matrices decorated with very small, ångström-sized, three-dimensional (3D)-metal crystals of defined size. We irradiate boron-rich precious-metal-encapsulated self-spreading polymer micelles with electrons and produce, in real time, a doped graphitic support on which individual osmium atoms hop and migrate to form 3D-nanocrystals, as small as 15 Å in diameter, within 1 h. Crystal growth can be observed, quantified and controlled in real time. We also synthesize the first examples of mixed ruthenium–osmium 3D-nanocrystals. This technology not only allows the production of ångström-sized homo- and hetero-crystals, but also provides new experimental insight into the dynamics of nanocrystals and pathways for their assembly from single atoms. PMID:24861089

A one-pot strategy for biomimetic synthesis and self-assembly of gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yi; Chen, Li Qiang; Li, Yuan Fang; Zhao, Xi Juan; Peng, Li; Zhi Huang, Cheng

2010-07-01

A simple, one-pot and controllable strategy is reported in this contribution for biomimetic synthesis and self-assembly of gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs). It involves our synthesized polyaldehyde dextran (PAD), which has been proved to be a biomacromolecule with excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, acting as both a reducing agent and a stabilizer. The morphology of the as-prepared Au-NP assemblies can be controlled by adjusting the reaction conditions, such as the concentration of aldehyde in PAD, the reaction time and the temperature. Investigations of the mechanism suggest that stabilizers may distribute on different crystal facets of NPs non-uniformly owing to the different binding forces, and dipole-dipole interaction of NPs could be the main driving force for the assembly of Au-NPs. In addition, intermolecular hydrogen bonding interaction of stabilizers could also act as a possible driving force. The excellent biocompatibility of the Au-NP assemblies makes them promising candidates for fabricating future optical nanodevices and application in biological systems.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mamaluy, Denis; Gao, Xujiao; Tierney, Brian David

We created a highly efficient, universal 3D quant um transport simulator. We demonstrated that the simulator scales linearly - both with the problem size (N) and number of CPUs, which presents an important break-through in the field of computational nanoelectronics. It allowed us, for the first time, to accurately simulate and optim ize a large number of realistic nanodevices in a much shorter time, when compared to other methods/codes such as RGF[%7EN 2.333 ]/KNIT, KWANT, and QTBM[%7EN 3 ]/NEMO5. In order to determine the best-in-class for different beyond-CMOS paradigms, we performed rigorous device optimization for high-performance logic devices at 6-,more » 5- and 4-nm gate lengths. We have discovered that there exists a fundamental down-scaling limit for CMOS technology and other Field-Effect Transistors (FETs). We have found that, at room temperatures, all FETs, irre spective of their channel material, will start experiencing unacceptable level of thermally induced errors around 5-nm gate lengths.« less

Is hexagonal boron nitride always good as a substrate for carbon nanotube-based devices?

PubMed

Kang, Seoung-Hun; Kim, Gunn; Kwon, Young-Kyun

2015-02-21

Hexagonal boron nitride sheets have been noted especially for their enhanced properties as substrates for sp(2) carbon-based nanodevices. To evaluate whether such enhanced properties would be retained under various realistic conditions, we investigate the structural and electronic properties of semiconducting carbon nanotubes on perfect and defective hexagonal boron nitride sheets under an external electric field as well as with a metal impurity, using density functional theory. We verify that the use of a perfect hexagonal boron nitride sheet as a substrate indeed improves the device performances of carbon nanotubes, compared with the use of conventional substrates such as SiO2. We further show that even the hexagonal boron nitride with some defects can show better performance as a substrate. Our calculations, on the other hand, also suggest that some defective boron nitride layers with a monovacancy and a nickel impurity could bring about poor device behavior since the imperfections impair electrical conductivity due to residual scattering under an applied electric field.

Influence of thermal treatment temperature on high-performance varistors prepared by hot-dipping tin oxide thin films in Nb2O5 powder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qi; Peng, Zhijian; Wang, Yang; Fu, Xiuli

2018-06-01

SnOx-Nb2O5 thin film varistors were prepared by hot-dipping oxygen-deficient tin oxide films in Nb2O5 powder in air, and the influence of hot-dipping temperature (HDT) on the varistor performance of the samples was systematically explored. When the HDT increased from 300 to 700 °C, the nonlinear coefficient of the samples raised first and then dropped down, reaching the maximum of 14.73 at 500 °C, and the breakdown electric field exhibited a similar variation trend, gaining the peak value of 0.0201 V/nm at this temperature. Correspondingly, the leakage current decreased first and then increased with increasing HDT, reaching the minimum of 17.1 mA/cm2 at 500 °C. Besides, it was proposed that a grain-boundary defect barrier model was responsible for the nonlinear behavior of the obtained SnOx-Nb2O5 film varistors. This high-performance thin film varistor with nanoscaled thickness might be much promising in nano-devices or devices working in low voltage.

Scaling of graphene field-effect transistors supported on hexagonal boron nitride: radio-frequency stability as a limiting factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feijoo, Pedro C.; Pasadas, Francisco; Iglesias, José M.; Martín, María J.; Rengel, Raúl; Li, Changfeng; Kim, Wonjae; Riikonen, Juha; Lipsanen, Harri; Jiménez, David

2017-12-01

The quality of graphene in nanodevices has increased hugely thanks to the use of hexagonal boron nitride as a supporting layer. This paper studies to which extent hBN together with channel length scaling can be exploited in graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) to get a competitive radio-frequency (RF) performance. Carrier mobility and saturation velocity were obtained from an ensemble Monte Carlo simulator that accounted for the relevant scattering mechanisms (intrinsic phonons, scattering with impurities and defects, etc). This information is fed into a self-consistent simulator, which solves the drift-diffusion equation coupled with the two-dimensional Poisson’s equation to take full account of short channel effects. Simulated GFET characteristics were benchmarked against experimental data from our fabricated devices. Our simulations show that scalability is supposed to bring to RF performance an improvement that is, however, highly limited by instability. Despite the possibility of a lower performance, a careful choice of the bias point can avoid instability. Nevertheless, maximum oscillation frequencies are still achievable in the THz region for channel lengths of a few hundreds of nanometers.

Ionic Channels as Natural Nanodevices

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-01

introduce the numerical techniques required to simulate charge transport in ion channels. [1] Using Poisson- Nernst -Planck-type (PNP) equations ...Eisenberg. 2003. Ionic diffusion through protein channels: from molecular description to continuum equations . Nanotech 2003, 3: 439-442. 4...Nadler, B., Schuss, Z., Singer, A., and R. S. Eisenberg. 2004. Ionic diffusion through confined geometries: from Langevin equations to partial

Nanodevices for Single Molecule Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craighead, H. G.; Stavis, S. M.; Samiee, K. T.

During the last two decades, biotechnology research has resulted in progress in fields as diverse as the life sciences, agriculture and healthcare. While existing technology enables the analysis of a variety of biological systems, new tools are needed for increasing the efficiency of current methods, and for developing new ones altogether. Interest has grown in single molecule analysis for these reasons.

Controlled Phase and Tunable Magnetism in Ordered Iron Oxide Nanotube Arrays Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Yijun; Liu, Ming; Peng, Bin; ...

2016-01-27

Highly-ordered and conformal iron oxide nanotube arrays on an atomic scale are successfully prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) with controlled oxidization states and tunable magnetic properties between superparamagnetism and ferrimagnetism. Non-magnetic α-Fe 2O 3 and superparamagnetic Fe 2O 3with a blocking temperature of 120 K are in-situ obtained by finely controlling the oxidation reaction. Both of them exhibit a very small grain size of only several nanometers due to the nature of atom-by-atom growth of the ALD technique. Post-annealing α-Fe 2O 3 in a reducing atmosphere leads to the formation of the spinel Fe 3O 4 phase which displaysmore » a distinct ferrimagnetic anisotropy and the Verwey metal-insulator transition that usually takes place only in single crystal magnetite or thick epitaxial films at low temperatures. Finally, the ALD deposition of iron oxide with well-controlled phase and tunable magnetism demonstrated in this work provides a promising opportunity for the fabrication of 3D nano-devices to be used in catalysis, spintronics, microelectronics, data storages and bio-applications.« less

Protein Design for Nanostructural Engineering: General Aspects.

PubMed

Grove, Tijana Z; Cortajarena, Aitziber L

2016-01-01

This chapter aims to introduce the main challenges in the field of protein design for engineering of nanostructures and functional materials. First, we introduce proteins and illustrate the key characteristics that open many possibilities for the use of proteins in nanotechnology. Then, we describe the current state of the art of nanopatterning techniques and the actual needs of the emerging field of nanotechnology to develop new tools in order to achieve precise control and manipulation of elements at the nanoscale. In this sense, the increasing knowledge of protein science and advances in protein design allow to tackle current challenges such as the design of nanodevices, nanopatterned surfaces, and nanomachines. This book highlights the recent progresses of protein nanotechnology over the last decade and emphasizes the power of protein engineering through illustrative examples of protein based-assemblies and their potential applications.

DFT investigations of the hydrogenation effect on silicene/graphene hybrids.

PubMed

Drissi, L B; Saidi, E H; Bousmina, M; Fassi-Fehri, O

2012-12-05

We report here a study on the effect of hydrogenation on a new one-atom thick material made of silicon and carbon atoms (silicene/graphene (SG) hybrid) within density functional theory. The structural, electronic and magnetic properties are investigated for non-, semi- and fully hydrogenated SG hybrids in a chair configuration and are compared with their parent materials. Calculations reveal that pure SG is a non-zero band gap semi-conductor with stable planar honeycomb structure. So mixing C and Si in an alternating manner gives another way to generate a finite band gap in one-atom thick materials. Fully hydrogenation makes the gap larger; however half chemical modification with H reduces the gap in favor of ferromagnetism order. The findings of this work open a wide spectrum of possibilities for designing SG-based nanodevices with controlled and tuned properties.

Direct observation and imaging of a spin-wave soliton with p-like symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonetti, S.; Kukreja, R.; Chen, Z.; Macià, F.; Hernàndez, J. M.; Eklund, A.; Backes, D.; Frisch, J.; Katine, J.; Malm, G.; Urazhdin, S.; Kent, A. D.; Stöhr, J.; Ohldag, H.; Dürr, H. A.

2015-11-01

Spin waves, the collective excitations of spins, can emerge as nonlinear solitons at the nanoscale when excited by an electrical current from a nanocontact. These solitons are expected to have essentially cylindrical symmetry (that is, s-like), but no direct experimental observation exists to confirm this picture. Using a high-sensitivity time-resolved magnetic X-ray microscopy with 50 ps temporal resolution and 35 nm spatial resolution, we are able to create a real-space spin-wave movie and observe the emergence of a localized soliton with a nodal line, that is, with p-like symmetry. Micromagnetic simulations explain the measurements and reveal that the symmetry of the soliton can be controlled by magnetic fields. Our results broaden the understanding of spin-wave dynamics at the nanoscale, with implications for the design of magnetic nanodevices.

Sub-100 fJ and sub-nanosecond thermally driven threshold switching in niobium oxide crosspoint nanodevices.

PubMed

Pickett, Matthew D; Williams, R Stanley

2012-06-01

We built and measured the dynamical current versus time behavior of nanoscale niobium oxide crosspoint devices which exhibited threshold switching (current-controlled negative differential resistance). The switching speeds of 110 × 110 nm(2) devices were found to be Δt(ON) = 700 ps and Δt(OFF) = 2:3 ns while the switching energies were of the order of 100 fJ. We derived a new dynamical model based on the Joule heating rate of a thermally driven insulator-to-metal phase transition that accurately reproduced the experimental results, and employed the model to estimate the switching time and energy scaling behavior of such devices down to the 10 nm scale. These results indicate that threshold switches could be of practical interest in hybrid CMOS nanoelectronic circuits.

Oxygen plasma etching of graphene: A first-principles dynamical inspection of the reaction mechanisms and related activation barriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koizumi, Kenichi; Boero, Mauro; Shigeta, Yasuteru; Oshiyama, Atsushi; Dept. of Applied Physics Team; Institute of Physics and Chemistry of Strasbourg (IPCMS) Collaboration; Department Of Materials Engineering Science Collaboration

2013-03-01

Oxygen plasma etching is a crucial step in the fabrication of electronic circuits and has recently received a renovated interest in view of the realization of carbon-based nanodevices. In an attempt at unraveling the atomic-scale details and to provide guidelines for the control of the etching processes mechanisms, we inspected the possible reaction pathways via reactive first principles simulations. These processes involve breaking and formation of several chemical bonds and are characterized by different free-energy barriers. Free-energy sampling techniques (metadynamics and blue moon), used to enhance the standard Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics, provide us a detailed microscopic picture of the etching of graphene surfaces and a comprehensive scenario of the activation barriers involved in the various steps. MEXT, Japan - contract N. 22104005

Transfer printing techniques for materials assembly and micro/nanodevice fabrication.

PubMed

Carlson, Andrew; Bowen, Audrey M; Huang, Yonggang; Nuzzo, Ralph G; Rogers, John A

2012-10-09

Transfer printing represents a set of techniques for deterministic assembly of micro-and nanomaterials into spatially organized, functional arrangements with two and three-dimensional layouts. Such processes provide versatile routes not only to test structures and vehicles for scientific studies but also to high-performance, heterogeneously integrated functional systems, including those in flexible electronics, three-dimensional and/or curvilinear optoelectronics, and bio-integrated sensing and therapeutic devices. This article summarizes recent advances in a variety of transfer printing techniques, ranging from the mechanics and materials aspects that govern their operation to engineering features of their use in systems with varying levels of complexity. A concluding section presents perspectives on opportunities for basic and applied research, and on emerging use of these methods in high throughput, industrial-scale manufacturing. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Thickness-dependent surface energies of few-layered arsenene and antimonene films in α and β phases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, N.; Zhu, Y. F.; Jiang, Q.

2018-07-01

Group V elemental few-layered materials with semiconducting electronic properties are emerging as promising 2D layered materials. Since the layered configurations need substrate for device fabrications, their surface energy values could decide their properties. Here, we have performed a systematic density functional theory (DFT) investigation on the surface energies of arsenene and antimonene films as the function of thickness. The results show that the surface energy of β phase increases with increased layered numbers and converges to a constant value at about five layers, while the surface energy of α phase is size-independent. Since the surface energies of both α and β phase are similar, there is the existence possibility of α phase. Those could give references for future manufacture of arsenene and antimonene nano-devices.

Maximum efficiency of state-space models of nanoscale energy conversion devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Einax, Mario; Nitzan, Abraham

2016-07-01

The performance of nano-scale energy conversion devices is studied in the framework of state-space models where a device is described by a graph comprising states and transitions between them represented by nodes and links, respectively. Particular segments of this network represent input (driving) and output processes whose properly chosen flux ratio provides the energy conversion efficiency. Simple cyclical graphs yield Carnot efficiency for the maximum conversion yield. We give general proof that opening a link that separate between the two driving segments always leads to reduced efficiency. We illustrate these general result with simple models of a thermoelectric nanodevice and an organic photovoltaic cell. In the latter an intersecting link of the above type corresponds to non-radiative carriers recombination and the reduced maximum efficiency is manifested as a smaller open-circuit voltage.

Maximum efficiency of state-space models of nanoscale energy conversion devices.

PubMed

Einax, Mario; Nitzan, Abraham

2016-07-07

The performance of nano-scale energy conversion devices is studied in the framework of state-space models where a device is described by a graph comprising states and transitions between them represented by nodes and links, respectively. Particular segments of this network represent input (driving) and output processes whose properly chosen flux ratio provides the energy conversion efficiency. Simple cyclical graphs yield Carnot efficiency for the maximum conversion yield. We give general proof that opening a link that separate between the two driving segments always leads to reduced efficiency. We illustrate these general result with simple models of a thermoelectric nanodevice and an organic photovoltaic cell. In the latter an intersecting link of the above type corresponds to non-radiative carriers recombination and the reduced maximum efficiency is manifested as a smaller open-circuit voltage.

Polymeric micelles from poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(amino acid) block copolymer for drug and gene delivery

PubMed Central

Osada, Kensuke; Christie, R. James; Kataoka, Kazunori

2009-01-01

Dramatic advances in biological research have revealed the mechanisms underlying many diseases at the molecular level. However, conventional techniques may be inadequate for direct application of this new knowledge to medical treatments. Nanobiotechnology, which integrates biology with the rapidly growing field of nanotechnology, has great potential to overcome many technical problems and lead to the development of effective therapies. The use of nanobiotechnology in drug delivery systems (DDS) is attractive for advanced treatment of conditions such as cancer and genetic diseases. In this review paper for a special issue on biomaterial research in Japan, we discuss the development of DDS based on polymeric micelles mainly in our group for anti-cancer drug and gene delivery, and also address our challenges associated with developing polymeric micelles as super-functionalized nanodevices with intelligent performance. PMID:19364722

Microstructure research for ferroelectric origin in the strained Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 thin film via geometric phase analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bi, Han; Sun, Qingqing; Zhao, Xuebing; You, Wenbin; Zhang, David Wei; Che, Renchao

2018-04-01

Recently, non-volatile semiconductor memory devices using a ferroelectric Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 film have been attracting extensive attention. However, at the nano-scale, the phase structure remains unclear in a thin Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 film, which stands in the way of the sustained development of ferroelectric memory nano-devices. Here, a series of electron microscopy evidences have illustrated that the interfacial strain played a key role in inducing the orthorhombic phase and the distorted tetragonal phase, which was the origin of the ferroelectricity in the Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 film. Our results provide insight into understanding the association between ferroelectric performances and microstructures of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2-based systems.

Hot Carrier Dynamics in the X Valley in Si and Ge Measured by Pump-IR-Probe Absorption Spectroscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, W. B.; Cavicchia, M. A.; Alfano, R. R.

1996-01-01

Si is the semiconductor of choice for nanoelectronic roadmap into the next century for computer and other nanodevices. With growing interest in Si, Ge, and Si(sub m)Ge(sub n) strained superlattices, knowledge of the carrier relaxation processes in these materials and structures has become increasingly important. The limited time resolution for earlier studies of carrier dynamics in Ge and Si, performed using Nd:glass lasers, was not sufficient to observe the fast cooling processes. In this paper, we present a direct measurement of hot carrier dynamics in the satellite X valley in Si and Ge by time-resolved infrared(IR) absorption spectroscopy, and show the potential of our technique to identify whether the X valley is the lowest conduction valley in semiconductor materials and structures.

Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous magnetic nanocomposites wrapped with chitosan gatekeepers for pH-sensitive controlled release of doxorubicin.

PubMed

Wu, Juan; Jiang, Wei; Shen, Yewen; Jiang, Wei; Tian, Renbing

2017-01-01

Multifunctional nanocarriers based on the Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles core and mesoporous silica shell (mSiO 2 ) were synthesized for controlled drug release through magnetic targeting and pH-sensitive performances. The developed Fe 3 O 4 @mSiO 2 nanocarriers exhibited a suitable size (63nm) and good magnetic responsibility, doxorubicin (DOX) could be successfully loaded into the mesoporous of Fe 3 O 4 @mSiO 2 via electrostatic interaction, and the drug loading content and loading efficiency are 29.3% and 93.6%, respectively. The chitosan (CS) was employed to wrap the Fe 3 O 4 @mSiO 2 -DOX as the blocking agent to inhibit premature drug release, and the final CS/Fe 3 O 4 @mSiO 2 -DOX exhibited excellent pH-sensitivity, 86.1% DOX was released within 48h at pH4.0. Furthermore, all the release behaviors fit the Higuchi model very well and a purely diffusion-controlled process played a major role on DOX release from CS/Fe 3 O 4 @mSiO 2 -DOX. In addition, MTT assays in human liver hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) demonstrated that the CS/Fe 3 O 4 @mSiO 2 -DOX had high anti-tumor activity, while the Fe 3 O 4 @mSiO 2 nanocarriers were practically non-toxic. Thus, our results revealed that the CS/Fe 3 O 4 @mSiO 2 -DOX could play an important role in the development of intracellular delivery nanodevices for cancer therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A fluorescent nucleic acid nanodevice quantitatively images elevated cyclic adenosine monophosphate in membrane-bound compartments.

PubMed

Sharma, Suruchi; Zaveri, Anisha; Visweswariah, Sandhya S; Krishnan, Yamuna

2014-11-12

cAMPhor: In the presence of cAMP, cAMPhor folds into a structure that binds DFHBI (green), increasing its fluorescence, while Alexa 647 (red) functions as a normalizing dye. It can thus be used to spatially image cAMP quantitatively in membrane-bound compartments. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Magnetic Actuation of Self-Assembled DNA Hinges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauback, S.; Mattioli, K.; Armstrong, M.; Miller, C.; Pease, C.; Castro, C.; Sooryakumar, R.

DNA nanotechnology offers a broad range of applications spanning from the creation of nanoscale devices, motors and nanoparticle templates to the development of precise drug delivery systems. Central to advancing this technology is the ability to actuate or reconfigure structures in real time, which is currently achieved primarily by DNA strand displacement yielding slow actuation times (about 1-10min). Here we exploit superparamagnetic beads to magnetically actuate DNA structures which also provides a system to measure forces associated with molecular interactions. DNA nanodevices are folded using DNA origami, whereby a long single-stranded DNA is folded into a precise compact geometry using hundreds of short oligonucleotides. Our DNA nanodevice is a nanohinge from which rod shaped DNA nanostructures are polymerized into micron-scale filaments forming handles for actuation. By functionalizing one arm of the hinge and the filament ends, the hinge can be attached to a surface while still allowing an arm to rotate and the filaments can be labeled with magnetic beads enabling the hinge to be actuated almost instantaneously by external magnetic fields. These results lay the groundwork to establish real-time manipulation and direct force application of DNA constructs.

Modeling direct band-to-band tunneling: From bulk to quantum-confined semiconductor devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrillo-Nuñez, H.; Ziegler, A.; Luisier, M.; Schenk, A.

2015-06-01

A rigorous framework to study direct band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) in homo- and hetero-junction semiconductor nanodevices is introduced. An interaction Hamiltonian coupling conduction and valence bands (CVBs) is derived using a multiband envelope method. A general form of the BTBT probability is then obtained from the linear response to the "CVBs interaction" that drives the system out of equilibrium. Simple expressions in terms of the one-electron spectral function are developed to compute the BTBT current in two- and three-dimensional semiconductor structures. Additionally, a two-band envelope equation based on the Flietner model of imaginary dispersion is proposed for the same purpose. In order to characterize their accuracy and differences, both approaches are compared with full-band, atomistic quantum transport simulations of Ge, InAs, and InAs-Si Esaki diodes. As another numerical application, the BTBT current in InAs-Si nanowire tunnel field-effect transistors is computed. It is found that both approaches agree with high accuracy. The first one is considerably easier to conceive and could be implemented straightforwardly in existing quantum transport tools based on the effective mass approximation to account for BTBT in nanodevices.

Two-dimensional CdS nanosheet-based TFT and LED nanodevices.

PubMed

Ye, Yu; Yu, Bin; Gao, Zhiwei; Meng, Hu; Zhang, Hui; Dai, Lun; Qin, Guogang

2012-05-17

Semiconductor nanosheets have several unique applications in electronic and optoelectronic nanodevices. We have successfully synthesized single-crystalline n-type CdS nanosheets via a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method in a Cd-enriched ambient. The as-synthesized nanosheets are typically 40-100 nm thick, 10-300 µm wide, and up to several millimeters long. Using the nanosheets, we fabricated for the first time (to our knowledge), nano thin-film transistors (nano-TFTs) based on individual CdS nanosheets. A typical unit of such nanosheet TFTs has a high on-off ratio (∼1.7 ×10(9)) and peak transconductance (∼14.1µS), which to our knowledge are the best values reported so far for semiconductor nano-TFTs. In addition, we fabricated n-CdS nanosheet/p(+)-Si heterojunction light emitting diodes (LEDs) with a top electrode structure. This structure, where the n-type electrode is directly above the junction, has the advantage of a large active region and injection current favorable for high-efficiency electroluminescence (EL) and lasing. Room-temperature spectra of the LEDs consist of only an intense CdS band-edge emission peak (∼507.7 nm) with a full width at half-maximum of about 14 nm.

Effect of solid surface charge on the binding behaviour of a metal-binding peptide

PubMed Central

Donatan, Senem; Sarikaya, Mehmet; Tamerler, Candan; Urgen, Mustafa

2012-01-01

Over the last decade, solid-binding peptides have been increasingly used as molecular building blocks coupling bio- and nanotechnology. Despite considerable research being invested in this field, the effects of many surface-related parameters that define the binding of peptide to solids are still unknown. In the quest to control biological molecules at solid interfaces and, thereby, tailoring the binding characteristics of the peptides, the use of surface charge of the solid surface may probably play an important role, which then can be used as a potential tuning parameter of peptide adsorption. Here, we report quantitative investigation on the viscoelastic properties and binding kinetics of an engineered gold-binding peptide, 3RGBP1, adsorbed onto the gold surface at different surface charge densities. The experiments were performed in aqueous solutions using an electrochemical dissipative quartz crystal microbalance system. Hydrodynamic mass, hydration state and surface coverage of the adsorbed peptide films were determined as a function of surface charge density of the gold metal substrate. Under each charged condition, binding of 3rGBP1 displayed quantitative differences in terms of adsorbed peptide amount, surface coverage ratio and hydration state. Based on the intrinsically disordered structure of the peptide, we propose a possible mechanism for binding of the peptide that can be used for tuning surface adsorption in further studies. Controlled alteration of peptide binding on solid surfaces, as shown here, may provide novel methods for surface functionalization used for bioenabled processing and fabrication of future micro- and nanodevices. PMID:22491974

Material-Independent Nanotransfer onto a Flexible Substrate Using Mechanical-Interlocking Structure.

PubMed

Seo, Min-Ho; Choi, Seon-Jin; Park, Sang Hyun; Yoo, Jae-Young; Lim, Sung Kyu; Lee, Jae-Shin; Choi, Kwang-Wook; Jo, Min-Seung; Kim, Il-Doo; Yoon, Jun-Bo

2018-05-22

Nanowire-transfer technology has received much attention thanks to its capability to fabricate high-performance flexible nanodevices with high simplicity and throughput. However, it is still challenging to extend the conventional nanowire-transfer method to the fabrication of a wide range of devices since a chemical-adhesion-based nanowire-transfer mechanism is complex and time-consuming, hindering successful transfer of diverse nanowires made of various materials. Here, we introduce a material-independent mechanical-interlocking-based nanowire-transfer (MINT) method, fabricating ultralong and fully aligned nanowires on a large flexible substrate (2.5 × 2 cm 2 ) in a highly robust manner. For the material-independent nanotransfer, we developed a mechanics-based nanotransfer method, which employs a dry-removable amorphous carbon (a-C) sacrificial layer between a vacuum-deposited nanowire and the underlying master mold. The controlled etching of the sacrificial layer enables the formation of a mechanical-interlocking structure under the nanowire, facilitating peeling off of the nanowire from the master mold robustly and reliably. Using the developed MINT method, we successfully fabricated various metallic and semiconductor nanowire arrays on flexible substrates. We further demonstrated that the developed method is well suited to the reliable fabrication of highly flexible and high-performance nanoelectronic devices. As examples, a fully aligned gold (Au) microheater array exhibited high bending stability (10 6 cycling) and ultrafast (∼220 ms) heating operation up to ∼100 °C. An ultralong Au heater-embedded cuprous-oxide (Cu 2 O) nanowire chemical gas sensor showed significantly improved reversible reaction kinetics toward NO 2 with 10-fold enhancement in sensitivity at 100 °C.

Direct observation and imaging of a spin-wave soliton with p-like symmetry

DOE PAGES

Bonetti, S.; Kukreja, R.; Chen, Z.; ...

2015-11-16

Spin waves, the collective excitations of spins, can emerge as nonlinear solitons at the nanoscale when excited by an electrical current from a nanocontact. These solitons are expected to have essentially cylindrical symmetry (that is, s-like), but no direct experimental observation exists to confirm this picture. Using a high-sensitivity time-resolved magnetic X-ray microscopy with 50 ps temporal resolution and 35 nm spatial resolution, we are able to create a real-space spin-wave movie and observe the emergence of a localized soliton with a nodal line, that is, with p-like symmetry. Moreover, micromagnetic simulations explain the measurements and reveal that the symmetrymore » of the soliton can be controlled by magnetic fields. Our results broaden the understanding of spin-wave dynamics at the nanoscale, with implications for the design of magnetic nanodevices.« less

Bioelectronic Sensors and Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reed, Mark

Nanoscale electronic devices have recently enabled the ability to controllably probe biological systems, from the molecular to the cellular level, opening up new applications and understanding of biological function and response. This talk reviews some of the advances in the field, ranging from diagnostic and therapeutic applications, to cellular manipulation and response, to the emulation of biological response. In diagnostics, integrated nanodevice biosensors compatible with CMOS technology have achieved unprecedented sensitivity, enabling a wide range of label-free biochemical and macromolecule sensing applications down to femtomolar concentrations. These systems have demonstrated integrated assays of biomarkers at clinically important concentrations for both diagnostics and as a quantitative tool for drug design and discovery. Cellular level response can also be observed, including immune response function and dynamics. Finally, the field is beginning to create devices that emulate function, and the demonstration of a solid state artificial ion channel will be discussed.

Atomistic Interface Dynamics in Sn-Catalyzed Growth of Wurtzite and Zinc-Blende ZnO Nanowires.

PubMed

Jia, Shuangfeng; Hu, Shuaishuai; Zheng, He; Wei, Yanjie; Meng, Shuang; Sheng, Huaping; Liu, Huihui; Zhou, Siyuan; Zhao, Dongshan; Wang, Jianbo

2018-06-11

Unraveling the phase selection mechanisms of semiconductor nanowires (NWs) is critical for the applications in future advanced nanodevices. In this study, the atomistic vapor-solid-liquid growth processes of Sn-catalyzed wurtzite (WZ) and zinc blende (ZB) ZnO are directly revealed based on the in situ transmission electron microscopy. The growth kinetics of WZ and ZB crystal phases in ZnO appear markedly different in terms of the NW-droplet interface, whereas the nucleation site as determined by the contact angle ϕ between the seed particle and the NW is found to be crucial for tuning the NW structure through combined experimental and theoretical investigations. These results offer an atomic-scale view into the dynamic growth process of ZnO NW, which has implications for the phase-controllable synthesis of II-VI compounds and heterostructures with tunable band structures.

Plasmonic-enhanced targeted nanohealing of metallic nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Hangbo; Lu, Jinsheng; Ghosh, Pintu; Chen, Ziyao; Wang, Wei; Ye, Hui; Yu, Qian; Qiu, Min; Li, Qiang

2018-02-01

Healing defects of metallic structures is an essential procedure for manufacturing and maintaining integrated devices. Current nanocomposite-assisted microhealing methodologies are inadequate for nanoscopic applications because of their concomitant contamination and limited operation accuracy. In this paper, we propose an optically controllable targeted nanohealing technique by utilizing the plasmonic-enhanced photothermal effect. The healing of nanogaps between two silver nanowires (NWs) is achieved by increasing the incident laser power in steps. Partial connection of NWs can be readily obtained using this technique, while near-perfect connection of NWs with the same crystal orientations is obtained only when the lattices on the two opposing facets are matched after recrystallization. This non-contaminating nanohealing technique not only provides deeper insight into the heat/mass transfer assisted by plasmonic photothermal conversion in the nanoscale but also suggests avenues for recovering mechanical, electronic, and photonic properties of defected metallic nanodevices.

High numerical aperture multilayer Laue lenses

DOE PAGES

Morgan, Andrew J.; Prasciolu, Mauro; Andrejczuk, Andrzej; ...

2015-06-01

The ever-increasing brightness of synchrotron radiation sources demands improved X-ray optics to utilise their capability for imaging and probing biological cells, nanodevices, and functional matter on the nanometer scale with chemical sensitivity. Here we demonstrate focusing a hard X-ray beam to an 8 nm focus using a volume zone plate (also referred to as a wedged multilayer Laue lens). This lens was constructed using a new deposition technique that enabled the independent control of the angle and thickness of diffracting layers to microradian and nanometer precision, respectively. This ensured that the Bragg condition is satisfied at each point along themore » lens, leading to a high numerical aperture that is limited only by its extent. We developed a phase-shifting interferometric method based on ptychography to characterise the lens focus. The precision of the fabrication and characterisation demonstrated here provides the path to efficient X-ray optics for imaging at 1 nm resolution.« less

Dynamic DNA nanotechnology using strand-displacement reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, David Yu; Seelig, Georg

2011-02-01

The specificity and predictability of Watson-Crick base pairing make DNA a powerful and versatile material for engineering at the nanoscale. This has enabled the construction of a diverse and rapidly growing set of DNA nanostructures and nanodevices through the programmed hybridization of complementary strands. Although it had initially focused on the self-assembly of static structures, DNA nanotechnology is now also becoming increasingly attractive for engineering systems with interesting dynamic properties. Various devices, including circuits, catalytic amplifiers, autonomous molecular motors and reconfigurable nanostructures, have recently been rationally designed to use DNA strand-displacement reactions, in which two strands with partial or full complementarity hybridize, displacing in the process one or more pre-hybridized strands. This mechanism allows for the kinetic control of reaction pathways. Here, we review DNA strand-displacement-based devices, and look at how this relatively simple mechanism can lead to a surprising diversity of dynamic behaviour.

Control of DNA strand displacement kinetics using toehold exchange.

PubMed

Zhang, David Yu; Winfree, Erik

2009-12-02

DNA is increasingly being used as the engineering material of choice for the construction of nanoscale circuits, structures, and motors. Many of these enzyme-free constructions function by DNA strand displacement reactions. The kinetics of strand displacement can be modulated by toeholds, short single-stranded segments of DNA that colocalize reactant DNA molecules. Recently, the toehold exchange process was introduced as a method for designing fast and reversible strand displacement reactions. Here, we characterize the kinetics of DNA toehold exchange and model it as a three-step process. This model is simple and quantitatively predicts the kinetics of 85 different strand displacement reactions from the DNA sequences. Furthermore, we use toehold exchange to construct a simple catalytic reaction. This work improves the understanding of the kinetics of nucleic acid reactions and will be useful in the rational design of dynamic DNA and RNA circuits and nanodevices.

Facile "modular assembly" for fast construction of a highly oriented crystalline MOF nanofilm.

PubMed

Xu, Gang; Yamada, Teppei; Otsubo, Kazuya; Sakaida, Shun; Kitagawa, Hiroshi

2012-10-10

The preparation of crystalline, ordered thin films of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) will be a critical process for MOF-based nanodevices in the future. MOF thin films with perfect orientation and excellent crystallinity were formed with novel nanosheet-structured components, Cu-TCPP [TCPP = 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin], by a new "modular assembly" strategy. The modular assembly process involves two steps: a "modularization" step is used to synthesize highly crystalline "modules" with a nanosized structure that can be conveniently assembled into a thin film in the following "assembly" step. With this method, MOF thin films can easily be set up on different substrates at very high speed with controllable thickness. This new approach also enabled us to prepare highly oriented crystalline thin films of MOFs that cannot be prepared in thin-film form by traditional techniques.

Piezo-Phototronic Matrix via a Nanowire Array.

PubMed

Zhang, Yang; Zhai, Junyi; Wang, Zhong Lin

2017-12-01

Piezoelectric semiconductors, such as ZnO and GaN, demonstrate multiproperty coupling effects toward various aspects of mechanical, electrical, and optical excitation. In particular, the three-way coupling among semiconducting, photoexcitation, and piezoelectric characteristics in wurtzite-structured semiconductors is established as a new field, which was first coined as piezo-phototronics by Wang in 2010. The piezo-phototronic effect can controllably modulate the charge-carrier generation, separation, transport, and/or recombination in optical-electronic processes by modifying the band structure at the metal-semiconductor or semiconductor-semiconductor heterojunction/interface. Here, the progress made in using the piezo-phototronic effect for enhancing photodetectors, pressure sensors, light-emitting diodes, and solar cells is reviewed. In comparison with previous works on a single piezoelectric semiconducting nanowire, piezo-phototronic nanodevices built using nanowire arrays provide a promising platform for fabricating integrated optoelectronics with the realization of high-spatial-resolution imaging and fast responsivity. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Smallest fullerene-like clusters in two-probe device junctions: first principle study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaur, Milanpreet; Sawhney, Ravinder Singh; Engles, Derick

2017-07-01

First principle calculations based on density functional theory are realised to investigate the electron transport of the smallest fullerene-like clusters as two-probe junction devices. The junction devices are constructed by mechanically controlled break junction techniques to ensure the maximum stability of the Be20, B20 and N20 cluster molecular junctions. We investigate the density of states, transmission spectrum, molecular orbitals, current and differential conductance characteristics at discrete bias voltages to gain insight about the various transport phenomena occurring in these nano-junctions. The results show that B20 molecule when stringed to gold electrodes works as an ideal nano-device similar to the pure C20 device and is more symmetric in its characteristic nature. However, in N20 molecular device, the conduction is negligible due to the higher atomic interactions within N20 molecule, despite the fact that it is constructed with penta-valent atoms.

Electromagnetic Field Enhancement on Axially Heterostructured NWs: The Role of the Heterojunctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pura, J. L.; Souto, J.; Periwal, P.; Baron, T.; Jiménez, J.

2018-05-01

Semiconductor nanowires are the building blocks of future nanoelectronic devices. The study of the interaction between nanowires and visible light reveals resonances that promise light absorption/scattering engineering for photonic applications. We carried out experimental measurements through the micro-Raman spectroscopy of different group IV nanowires, both homogeneous Si nanowires and axially heterostructured SiGe/Si nanowires. These experimental measurements show an enhancement of the Raman signal in the vicinity of the heterojunction of SiGe/Si nanowires. The results are analysed in terms of the electromagnetic modelling of the light/nanowire interaction using finite element methods. The presence of axial heterostructures is shown to produce electromagnetic resonances, and the results are understood as a consequence of a finite change in the relative permittivity of the material at the SiGe/Si heterojunction. This effect opens a path to controlling interactions between light and matter at the nanoscale with direct applications in photonic nanodevices.

Local tuning of the order parameter in superconducting weak links: A zero-inductance nanodevice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winik, Roni; Holzman, Itamar; Dalla Torre, Emanuele G.; Buks, Eyal; Ivry, Yachin

2018-03-01

Controlling both the amplitude and the phase of the superconducting quantum order parameter (" separators="|ψ ) in nanostructures is important for next-generation information and communication technologies. The lack of electric resistance in superconductors, which may be advantageous for some technologies, hinders convenient voltage-bias tuning and hence limits the tunability of ψ at the microscopic scale. Here, we demonstrate the local tunability of the phase and amplitude of ψ, obtained by patterning with a single lithography step a Nb nano-superconducting quantum interference device (nano-SQUID) that is biased at its nanobridges. We accompany our experimental results by a semi-classical linearized model that is valid for generic nano-SQUIDs with multiple ports and helps simplify the modelling of non-linear couplings among the Josephson junctions. Our design helped us reveal unusual electric characteristics with effective zero inductance, which is promising for nanoscale magnetic sensing and quantum technologies.

An open-source platform to study uniaxial stress effects on nanoscale devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Signorello, G.; Schraff, M.; Zellekens, P.; Drechsler, U.; Bürge, M.; Steinauer, H. R.; Heller, R.; Tschudy, M.; Riel, H.

2017-05-01

We present an automatic measurement platform that enables the characterization of nanodevices by electrical transport and optical spectroscopy as a function of the uniaxial stress. We provide insights into and detailed descriptions of the mechanical device, the substrate design and fabrication, and the instrument control software, which is provided under open-source license. The capability of the platform is demonstrated by characterizing the piezo-resistance of an InAs nanowire device using a combination of electrical transport and Raman spectroscopy. The advantages of this measurement platform are highlighted by comparison with state-of-the-art piezo-resistance measurements in InAs nanowires. We envision that the systematic application of this methodology will provide new insights into the physics of nanoscale devices and novel materials for electronics, and thus contribute to the assessment of the potential of strain as a technology booster for nanoscale electronics.

Phase-coherent engineering of electronic heat currents with a Josephson modulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornieri, Antonio; Blanc, Christophe; Bosisio, Riccardo; D'Ambrosio, Sophie; Giazotto, Francesco

In this contribution we report the realization of the first balanced Josephson heat modulator designed to offer full control at the nanoscale over the phase-coherent component of electronic thermal currents. The ability to master the amount of heat transferred through two tunnel-coupled superconductors by tuning their phase difference is the core of coherent caloritronics, and is expected to be a key tool in a number of nanoscience fields, including solid state cooling, thermal isolation, radiation detection, quantum information and thermal logic. Our device provides magnetic-flux-dependent temperature modulations up to 40 mK in amplitude with a maximum of the flux-to-temperature transfer coefficient reaching 200 mK per flux quantum at a bath temperature of 25 mK. Foremost, it demonstrates the exact correspondence in the phase-engineering of charge and heat currents, breaking ground for advanced caloritronic nanodevices such as thermal splitters, heat pumps and time-dependent electronic engines.

The classical and quantum dynamics of molecular spins on graphene.

PubMed

Cervetti, Christian; Rettori, Angelo; Pini, Maria Gloria; Cornia, Andrea; Repollés, Ana; Luis, Fernando; Dressel, Martin; Rauschenbach, Stephan; Kern, Klaus; Burghard, Marko; Bogani, Lapo

2016-02-01

Controlling the dynamics of spins on surfaces is pivotal to the design of spintronic and quantum computing devices. Proposed schemes involve the interaction of spins with graphene to enable surface-state spintronics and electrical spin manipulation. However, the influence of the graphene environment on the spin systems has yet to be unravelled. Here we explore the spin-graphene interaction by studying the classical and quantum dynamics of molecular magnets on graphene. Whereas the static spin response remains unaltered, the quantum spin dynamics and associated selection rules are profoundly modulated. The couplings to graphene phonons, to other spins, and to Dirac fermions are quantified using a newly developed model. Coupling to Dirac electrons introduces a dominant quantum relaxation channel that, by driving the spins over Villain's threshold, gives rise to fully coherent, resonant spin tunnelling. Our findings provide fundamental insight into the interaction between spins and graphene, establishing the basis for electrical spin manipulation in graphene nanodevices.

The classical and quantum dynamics of molecular spins on graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cervetti, Christian; Rettori, Angelo; Pini, Maria Gloria; Cornia, Andrea; Repollés, Ana; Luis, Fernando; Dressel, Martin; Rauschenbach, Stephan; Kern, Klaus; Burghard, Marko; Bogani, Lapo

2016-02-01

Controlling the dynamics of spins on surfaces is pivotal to the design of spintronic and quantum computing devices. Proposed schemes involve the interaction of spins with graphene to enable surface-state spintronics and electrical spin manipulation. However, the influence of the graphene environment on the spin systems has yet to be unravelled. Here we explore the spin-graphene interaction by studying the classical and quantum dynamics of molecular magnets on graphene. Whereas the static spin response remains unaltered, the quantum spin dynamics and associated selection rules are profoundly modulated. The couplings to graphene phonons, to other spins, and to Dirac fermions are quantified using a newly developed model. Coupling to Dirac electrons introduces a dominant quantum relaxation channel that, by driving the spins over Villain’s threshold, gives rise to fully coherent, resonant spin tunnelling. Our findings provide fundamental insight into the interaction between spins and graphene, establishing the basis for electrical spin manipulation in graphene nanodevices.

Diameter and Geometry Control of Vertically Aligned SWNTs through Catalyst Manipulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Rong; Einarsson, Erik; Okawa, Jun; Murakami, Yoichi; Maruyama, Shigeo

2009-03-01

We present our recent progress on manipulating our liquid-based catalyst loading process, which possesses greater potential than conventional deposition in terms of cost and scalability, to control the diameter and morphology of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). We demonstrate that the diameter of aligned SWNTs synthesized by alcohol catalytic CVD can be tailored over a wide range by modifying the catalyst recipe. SWNT arrays with an average diameter as small as 1.2 nm were obtained by this method. Additionally, owing to the alignment of the array, the continuous change of the SWNT diameter during a single CVD process can be clearly observed and quantitatively characterized. We have also developed a versatile wet chemistry method to localize the growth of SWNTs to desired regions via surface modification. By functionalizing the silicon surface using a classic self-assembled monolayer, the catalyst can be selectively dip-coated onto hydrophilic areas of the substrate. This technique was successful in producing both random and aligned SWNTs with various patterns. The precise control of the diameter and morphology of SWNTs, achieved by simple and scalable liquid-based surface chemistry, could greatly facilitate the application of SWNTs as the building blocks of future nano-devices.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Retamal, María J., E-mail: moretama@uc.cl; Cisternas, Marcelo A.; Seifert, Birger

The recent combination of nanoscale developments with biological molecules for biotechnological research has opened a wide field related to the area of biosensors. In the last years, device manufacturing for medical applications adapted the so-called bottom-up approach, from nanostructures to larger devices. Preparation and characterization of artificial biological membranes is a necessary step for the formation of nano-devices or sensors. In this paper, we describe the formation and characterization of a phospholipid bilayer (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, DPPC) on a mattress of a polysaccharide (Chitosan) that keeps the membrane hydrated. The deposition of Chitosan (∼25 Å) and DPPC (∼60 Å) was performed frommore » the gas phase in high vacuum onto a substrate of Si(100) covered with its native oxide layer. The layer thickness was controlled in situ using Very High Resolution Ellipsometry (VHRE). Raman spectroscopy studies show that neither Chitosan nor DPPC molecules decompose during evaporation. With VHRE and Atomic Force Microscopy we have been able to detect phase transitions in the membrane. The presence of the Chitosan interlayer as a water reservoir is essential for both DPPC bilayer formation and stability, favoring the appearance of phase transitions. Our experiments show that the proposed sample preparation from the gas phase is reproducible and provides a natural environment for the DPPC bilayer. In future work, different Chitosan thicknesses should be studied to achieve a complete and homogeneous interlayer.« less

Toward Applications for DNA Nanotechnology-More Bricks To Build With.

PubMed

Dietz, Hendrik

2016-06-16

Another brick in the wall: DNA nanotechnology has come a long way since its initial beginnings. This would not be possible without the continued development of methods for DNA assembly and new uses for DNA as a material. This Special Issue highlights some of the newest building blocks for nanodevices based on DNA. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Investigations on dendrimer space reveal solid and liquid tumor growth-inhibition by original phosphorus-based dendrimers and the corresponding monomers and dendrons with ethacrynic acid motifs.

PubMed

El Brahmi, Nabil; Mignani, Serge M; Caron, Joachim; El Kazzouli, Saïd; Bousmina, Mosto M; Caminade, Anne-Marie; Cresteil, Thierry; Majoral, Jean-Pierre

2015-03-07

The well-known reactive diuretic ethacrynic acid (EA, Edecrin), with low antiproliferative activities, was chemically modified and grafted onto phosphorus dendrimers and the corresponding simple branched phosphorus dendron-like derivatives affording novel nanodevices showing moderate to strong antiproliferative activities against liquid and solid tumor cell lines, respectively.

Theoretical investigation of the electronic structure and quantum transport in the graphene-C(111) diamond surface system.

PubMed

Selli, Daniele; Baburin, Igor; Leoni, Stefano; Zhu, Zhen; Tománek, David; Seifert, Gotthard

2013-10-30

We investigate the interaction of a graphene monolayer with the C(111) diamond surface using ab initio density functional theory. To accommodate the lattice mismatch between graphene and diamond, the overlayer deforms into a wavy structure that binds strongly to the diamond substrate. The detached ridges of the wavy graphene overlayer behave electronically as free-standing polyacetylene chains with delocalized π electrons, separated by regions containing only sp(3) carbon atoms covalently bonded to the (111) diamond surface. We performed quantum transport calculations for different geometries of the system to study how the buckling of the graphene layer and the associated bonding to the diamond substrate affect the transport properties. The system displays high carrier mobility along the ridges and a wide transport gap in the direction normal to the ridges. These intriguing, strongly anisotropic transport properties qualify the hybrid graphene-diamond system as a viable candidate for electronic nanodevices.

Programmable autonomous synthesis of single-stranded DNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kishi, Jocelyn Y.; Schaus, Thomas E.; Gopalkrishnan, Nikhil; Xuan, Feng; Yin, Peng

2018-02-01

DNA performs diverse functional roles in biology, nanotechnology and biotechnology, but current methods for autonomously synthesizing arbitrary single-stranded DNA are limited. Here, we introduce the concept of primer exchange reaction (PER) cascades, which grow nascent single-stranded DNA with user-specified sequences following prescribed reaction pathways. PER synthesis happens in a programmable, autonomous, in situ and environmentally responsive fashion, providing a platform for engineering molecular circuits and devices with a wide range of sensing, monitoring, recording, signal-processing and actuation capabilities. We experimentally demonstrate a nanodevice that transduces the detection of a trigger RNA into the production of a DNAzyme that degrades an independent RNA substrate, a signal amplifier that conditionally synthesizes long fluorescent strands only in the presence of a particular RNA signal, molecular computing circuits that evaluate logic (AND, OR, NOT) combinations of RNA inputs, and a temporal molecular event recorder that records in the PER transcript the order in which distinct RNA inputs are sequentially detected.

Programmable autonomous synthesis of single-stranded DNA.

PubMed

Kishi, Jocelyn Y; Schaus, Thomas E; Gopalkrishnan, Nikhil; Xuan, Feng; Yin, Peng

2018-02-01

DNA performs diverse functional roles in biology, nanotechnology and biotechnology, but current methods for autonomously synthesizing arbitrary single-stranded DNA are limited. Here, we introduce the concept of primer exchange reaction (PER) cascades, which grow nascent single-stranded DNA with user-specified sequences following prescribed reaction pathways. PER synthesis happens in a programmable, autonomous, in situ and environmentally responsive fashion, providing a platform for engineering molecular circuits and devices with a wide range of sensing, monitoring, recording, signal-processing and actuation capabilities. We experimentally demonstrate a nanodevice that transduces the detection of a trigger RNA into the production of a DNAzyme that degrades an independent RNA substrate, a signal amplifier that conditionally synthesizes long fluorescent strands only in the presence of a particular RNA signal, molecular computing circuits that evaluate logic (AND, OR, NOT) combinations of RNA inputs, and a temporal molecular event recorder that records in the PER transcript the order in which distinct RNA inputs are sequentially detected.

Band shift of 2D transition-metal dichalcogenide alloys: size and composition effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yipeng; Zhang, Zhe; Ouyang, Gang

2018-04-01

Band engineering of 2D transition-metal dichalcogenides (2D-TMDs) is a vital task for their applications in electronic and optoelectronic nanodevices. In this study, we investigate the joint effect from size and composition contributions on the band shift of 2D-TMD alloys in terms of atomic bond relaxation consideration. A theoretical model is proposed to pursue the underlying mechanism, which can connect the band offset with the atomic bonding identities in the 2D-TMD alloys. We reveal that the bandgap of 2D-TMD alloys presents a bowing shape owing to the size-dependent interaction among atoms and shows blue shift or red shift due to different intermixing of components. It is demonstrated that both size and composition can be performed as the useful methods to modulate the band shift, which suggests an effective way to realize the desirable properties of 2D-TMD alloys.

Tuning electronic and magnetic properties of GaN nanosheets by surface modifications and nanosheet thickness.

PubMed

Xiao, Meixia; Yao, Tingzhen; Ao, Zhimin; Wei, Peng; Wang, Danghui; Song, Haiyang

2015-04-14

Density-functional theory calculations are performed to investigate the effects of surface modifications and nanosheet thickness on the electronic and magnetic properties of gallium nitride (GaN) nanosheets (NSs). Unlike the bare GaN NSs terminating with polar surfaces, the systems with hydrogenated Ga (H-GaN), fluorinated Ga (F-GaN), and chlorinated Ga (Cl-GaN) preserve their initial wurtzite structures and exhibit ferromagnetic states. The abovementioned three different decorations on Ga atoms are energetically more favorable for thicker GaN NSs. Moreover, as the thickness increases, H-GaN and F-GaN NSs undergo semiconductor to metal and half-metal to metal transition, respectively, while Cl-GaN NSs remain completely metallic. The predicted diverse and tunable electronic and magnetic properties highlight the potential of GaN NSs for novel electronic and spintronic nanodevices.

Do dielectric nanostructures turn metallic in high-electric dc fields?

PubMed

Silaeva, E P; Arnoldi, L; Karahka, M L; Deconihout, B; Menand, A; Kreuzer, H J; Vella, A

2014-11-12

Three-dimensional dielectric nanostructures have been analyzed using field ion microscopy (FIM) to study the electric dc field penetration inside these structures. The field is proved to be screened within a few nanometers as theoretically calculated taking into account the high-field impact ionization process. Moreover, the strong dc field of the order of 0.1 V/Å at the surface inside a dielectric nanostructure modifies its band structure leading to a strong band gap shrinkage and thus to a strong metal-like optical absorption near the surface. This metal-like behavior was theoretically predicted using first-principle calculations and experimentally proved using laser-assisted atom probe tomography (APT). This work opens up interesting perspectives for the study of the performance of all field-effect nanodevices, such as nanotransistor or super capacitor, and for the understanding of the physical mechanisms of field evaporation of dielectric nanotips in APT.

Nanomanufacturing-related programs at NSF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Khershed P.

2015-08-01

The National Science Foundation is meeting the challenge of transitioning lab-scale nanoscience and technology to commercial-scale through several nanomanufacturing-related research programs. The goal of the core Nanomanufacturing (NM) and the inter-disciplinary Scalable Nanomanufacturing (SNM) programs is to meet the barriers to manufacturability at the nano-scale by developing the fundamental principles for the manufacture of nanomaterials, nanostructures, nanodevices, and engineered nanosystems. These programs address issues such as scalability, reliability, quality, performance, yield, metrics, and cost, among others. The NM and SNM programs seek nano-scale manufacturing ideas that are transformative, that will be widely applicable and that will have far-reaching technological and societal impacts. It is envisioned that the results from these basic research programs will provide the knowledge base for larger programs such as the manufacturing Nanotechnology Science and Engineering Centers (NSECs) and the Nanosystems Engineering Research Centers (NERCs). Besides brief descriptions of these different programs, this paper will include discussions on novel

Asymmetrical external effects on transmission, conductance and giant tunneling magnetoresistance in silicene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oubram, O.; Navarro, O.; Guzmán, E. J.; Rodríguez-Vargas, I.

2018-01-01

Electron transport in a silicene structure, composed of a pair of magnetic gates, is studied in a ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic configuration. The transport properties are investigated for asymmetrical external effects like an electrostatic potential, a magnetic field and for asymmetrical geometric structure. This theoretical study, has been done using the matrix transfer method to calculate the transmission, the conductance for parallel and antiparallel magnetic alignment and the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR). In Particular, we have found that the transmission, conductance and magnetoresistance oscillate as a function of the width of barriers. It is also found that a best control and high values of TMR spectrum are achieved by an asymmetrical application of the contact voltage. Besides, we have shown that the TMR is enhanced several orders of magnitude by the combined asymmetrical magnetization effect with an adequate applied electrostatic potential. Whereby, the asymmetrical external effects play an important role to improve TMR than symmetrical ones. Finally, the giant TMR can be flexibly modulated by incident energy and a specific asymmetrical application of control voltage. These results could be useful to design filters and digital nanodevices.

Fabrication of heterogeneous nanomaterial array by programmable heating and chemical supply within microfluidic platform towards multiplexed gas sensing application

PubMed Central

Yang, Daejong; Kang, Kyungnam; Kim, Donghwan; Li, Zhiyong; Park, Inkyu

2015-01-01

A facile top-down/bottom-up hybrid nanofabrication process based on programmable temperature control and parallel chemical supply within microfluidic platform has been developed for the all liquid-phase synthesis of heterogeneous nanomaterial arrays. The synthesized materials and locations can be controlled by local heating with integrated microheaters and guided liquid chemical flow within microfluidic platform. As proofs-of-concept, we have demonstrated the synthesis of two types of nanomaterial arrays: (i) parallel array of TiO2 nanotubes, CuO nanospikes and ZnO nanowires, and (ii) parallel array of ZnO nanowire/CuO nanospike hybrid nanostructures, CuO nanospikes and ZnO nanowires. The laminar flow with negligible ionic diffusion between different precursor solutions as well as localized heating was verified by numerical calculation and experimental result of nanomaterial array synthesis. The devices made of heterogeneous nanomaterial array were utilized as a multiplexed sensor for toxic gases such as NO2 and CO. This method would be very useful for the facile fabrication of functional nanodevices based on highly integrated arrays of heterogeneous nanomaterials. PMID:25634814

Vapor-Phase Atomic Layer Deposition of Co9S8 and Its Application for Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Li, Hao; Gao, Yuanhong; Shao, Youdong; Su, Yantao; Wang, Xinwei

2015-10-14

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of cobalt sulfide (Co9S8) is reported. The deposition process uses bis(N,N'-diisopropylacetamidinato)cobalt(II) and H2S as the reactants and is able to produce high-quality Co9S8 films with an ideal layer-by-layer ALD growth behavior. The Co9S8 films can also be conformally deposited into deep narrow trenches with aspect ratio of 10:1, which demonstrates the high promise of this ALD process for conformally coating Co9S8 on high-aspect-ratio 3D nanostructures. As Co9S8 is a highly promising electrochemical active material for energy devices, we further explore its electrochemical performance by depositing Co9S8 on porous nickel foams for supercapacitor electrodes. Benefited from the merits of ALD for making high-quality uniform thin films, the ALD-prepared electrodes exhibit remarkable electrochemical performance, with high specific capacitance, great rate performance, and long-term cyclibility, which highlights the broad and promising applications of this ALD process for energy-related electrochemical devices, as well as for fabricating complex 3D nanodevices in general.

Engineering challenges of BioNEMS: the integration of microfluidics, micro- and nanodevices, models and external control for systems biology.

PubMed

Wikswo, J P; Prokop, A; Baudenbacher, F; Cliffel, D; Csukas, B; Velkovsky, M

2006-08-01

Systems biology, i.e. quantitative, postgenomic, postproteomic, dynamic, multiscale physiology, addresses in an integrative, quantitative manner the shockwave of genetic and proteomic information using computer models that may eventually have 10(6) dynamic variables with non-linear interactions. Historically, single biological measurements are made over minutes, suggesting the challenge of specifying 10(6) model parameters. Except for fluorescence and micro-electrode recordings, most cellular measurements have inadequate bandwidth to discern the time course of critical intracellular biochemical events. Micro-array expression profiles of thousands of genes cannot determine quantitative dynamic cellular signalling and metabolic variables. Major gaps must be bridged between the computational vision and experimental reality. The analysis of cellular signalling dynamics and control requires, first, micro- and nano-instruments that measure simultaneously multiple extracellular and intracellular variables with sufficient bandwidth; secondly, the ability to open existing internal control and signalling loops; thirdly, external BioMEMS micro-actuators that provide high bandwidth feedback and externally addressable intracellular nano-actuators; and, fourthly, real-time, closed-loop, single-cell control algorithms. The unravelling of the nested and coupled nature of cellular control loops requires simultaneous recording of multiple single-cell signatures. Externally controlled nano-actuators, needed to effect changes in the biochemical, mechanical and electrical environment both outside and inside the cell, will provide a major impetus for nanoscience.

An infrared-driven flexible pyroelectric generator for non-contact energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Tingting; Jiang, Weitao; Liu, Hongzhong; Niu, Dong; Li, Xin; Liu, Weihua; Li, Xuan; Chen, Bangdao; Shi, Yongsheng; Yin, Lei; Lu, Bingheng

2016-04-01

In recent years, energy harvesting technologies, which can scavenge many kinds of energies from our living environment to power micro/nanodevices, have attracted increasing attention. However, remote energy transmission, flexibility and electric waveform controllability remain the key challenges for wireless power supply by an energy harvester. In this paper, we design a new infrared-driven non-contact pyroelectric generator for harvesting heat energy, which avoids direct contact between the pyroelectric generator and heat source and realizes remote energy transfer exploiting the photothermal and penetrability of infrared light. The output voltage (under the input impedance of 100 MOhm) and short-circuit current of the pyroelectric generator consisting of a CNT/PVDF/CNT layer (20 mm × 5 mm × 100 μm) can be as large as 1.2 V and 9 nA, respectively, under a 1.45 W cm-2 near-infrared laser (808 nm). We also demonstrate the means by which the pyroelectric generator can modulate square waveforms with controllable periods through irradiation frequency, which is essential for signal sources and medical stimulators. The overshoot of square waveforms are in a range of 9.0%-13.1% with a rise time of 120 ms. The prepared pyroelectric generator can light a liquid crystal display (LCD) in a vacuum chamber from outside. This work paves the way for non-contact energy harvesting for some particular occasions where near-field energy control is not available.In recent years, energy harvesting technologies, which can scavenge many kinds of energies from our living environment to power micro/nanodevices, have attracted increasing attention. However, remote energy transmission, flexibility and electric waveform controllability remain the key challenges for wireless power supply by an energy harvester. In this paper, we design a new infrared-driven non-contact pyroelectric generator for harvesting heat energy, which avoids direct contact between the pyroelectric generator and heat source and realizes remote energy transfer exploiting the photothermal and penetrability of infrared light. The output voltage (under the input impedance of 100 MOhm) and short-circuit current of the pyroelectric generator consisting of a CNT/PVDF/CNT layer (20 mm × 5 mm × 100 μm) can be as large as 1.2 V and 9 nA, respectively, under a 1.45 W cm-2 near-infrared laser (808 nm). We also demonstrate the means by which the pyroelectric generator can modulate square waveforms with controllable periods through irradiation frequency, which is essential for signal sources and medical stimulators. The overshoot of square waveforms are in a range of 9.0%-13.1% with a rise time of 120 ms. The prepared pyroelectric generator can light a liquid crystal display (LCD) in a vacuum chamber from outside. This work paves the way for non-contact energy harvesting for some particular occasions where near-field energy control is not available. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr09290f

Novel Plasmonic Materials and Nanodevices for Integrated Quantum Photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shalaginov, Mikhail Y.

Light-matter interaction is the foundation for numerous important quantum optical phenomena, which may be harnessed to build practical devices with higher efficiency and unprecedented functionality. Nanoscale engineering is seen as a fruitful avenue to significantly strengthen light-matter interaction and also make quantum optical systems ultra-compact, scalable, and energy efficient. This research focuses on color centers in diamond that share quantum properties with single atoms. These systems promise a path for the realization of practical quantum devices such as nanoscale sensors, single-photon sources, and quantum memories. In particular, we explored an intriguing methodology of utilizing nanophotonic structures, such as hyperbolic metamaterials, nanoantennae, and plasmonic waveguides, to improve the color centers performance. We observed enhancement in the color center's spontaneous emission rate, emission directionality, and cooperativity over a broad optical frequency range. Additionally, we studied the effect of plasmonic environments on the spin-readout sensitivity of color centers. The use of CMOS-compatible epitaxially grown plasmonic materials in the design of these nanophotonic structures promises a new level of performance for a variety of integrated room-temperature quantum devices based on diamond color centers.

Enhancing the thermoelectric performance of gamma-graphyne nanoribbons by introducing edge disorder.

PubMed

Cui, Xiao; Ouyang, Tao; Li, Jin; He, Chaoyu; Tang, Chao; Zhong, Jianxin

2018-03-07

Structure disorder especially edge disorder is unavoidable during the fabrication of nanomaterials. In this paper, using the non-equilibrium Green's function method, we investigate the influence of edge disorder on the thermoelectric performance of gamma(γ)-graphyne nanoribbons (GYNRs). Our results show that the high Seebeck coefficient in pristine γ-GYNR could still be preserved although edge disorder is introduced into the structure. Meanwhile, in these edge-disordered nanoribbons the suppression of thermal conductance including electronic and phononic contributions outweighs the reduction of electronic conductance. These two positive effects combine together, and finally boost the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of γ-GYNRs. The thermoelectric figure of merit ZT in the edge-disordered γ-GYNRs (the length and width are about 55.68 and 1.41 nm) could approach 2.5 at room temperature, and can even reach as high as 4.0 at 700 K, which is comparable to the efficiency of conventional energy conversion methods. The findings in this paper indicate that the edge-disordered γ-GYNRs are a promising candidate for efficient thermoelectric energy conversion and thermal management of nanodevices.

Modification of nucleic acids by azobenzene derivatives and their applications in biotechnology and nanotechnology.

PubMed

Li, Jing; Wang, Xingyu; Liang, Xingguo

2014-12-01

Azobenzene has been widely used as a photoregulator due to its reversible photoisomerization, large structural change between E and Z isomers, high photoisomerization yield, and high chemical stability. On the other hand, some azobenzene derivatives can be used as universal quenchers for many fluorophores. Nucleic acid is a good candidate to be modified because it is not only the template of gene expression but also widely used for building well-organized nanostructures and nanodevices. Because the size and polarity distribution of the azobenzene molecule is similar to a nucleobase pair, the introduction of azobenzene into nucleic acids has been shown to be an ingenious molecular design for constructing light-switching biosystems or light-driven nanomachines. Here we review recent advances in azobenzene-modified nucleic acids and their applications for artificial regulation of gene expression and enzymatic reactions, construction of photoresponsive nanostructures and nanodevices, molecular beacons, as well as obtaining structural information using the introduced azobenzene as an internal probe. In particular, nucleic acids bearing multiple azobenzenes can be used as a novel artificial nanomaterial with merits of high sequence specificity, regular duplex structure, and high photoregulation efficiency. The combination of functional groups with biomolecules may further advance the development of chemical biotechnology and biomolecular engineering. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Plasmonic nanorod arrays of a two-segment dimer and a coaxial cable with 1 nm gap for large field confinement and enhancement.

PubMed

Cheng, Zi-Qiang; Nan, Fan; Yang, Da-Jie; Zhong, Yu-Ting; Ma, Liang; Hao, Zhong-Hua; Zhou, Li; Wang, Qu-Quan

2015-01-28

Seeking plasmonic nanostructures with large field confinement and enhancement is significant for photonic and electronic nanodevices with high sensitivity, reproducibility, and tunability. Here, we report the synthesis of plasmonic arrays composed of two-segment dimer nanorods and coaxial cable nanorods with ∼1 nm gap insulated by a self-assembled Raman molecule monolayer. The gap-induced plasmon coupling generates an intense field in the gap region of the dimer junction and the cable interlayer. As a result, the longitudinal plasmon resonance of nanorod arrays with high tunability is obviously enhanced. Most interestingly, the field enhancement of dimer nanorod arrays can be tuned by the length ratio L1/L2 of the two segments, and the maximal enhancement appears at L1/L2 = 1. In that case, the two-photon luminescence (TPL) of dimer nanorod arrays and the Raman intensity in the dimer junction is enhanced by 27 and 30 times, respectively, under resonant excitation. In the same way, the Raman intensity in the gap region is enhanced 16 times for the coaxial cable nanorod arrays. The plasmonic nanorod arrays synthesized by the facile method, having tunable plasmon properties and large field enhancement, indicate an attractive pathway to the photonic nanodevices.

Gd-DTPA-loaded polymer-metal complex micelles with high relaxivity for MR cancer imaging.

PubMed

Mi, Peng; Cabral, Horacio; Kokuryo, Daisuke; Rafi, Mohammad; Terada, Yasuko; Aoki, Ichio; Saga, Tsuneo; Takehiko, Ishii; Nishiyama, Nobuhiro; Kataoka, Kazunori

2013-01-01

Nanodevices for magnetic resonance imaging of cancer were self-assembled to core-shell micellar structures by metal complex formation of K(2)PtCl(6) with diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid gadolinium (III) dihydrogen (Gd-DTPA), a T(1)-contrast agent, and poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly{N-[N'-(2-aminoethyl)-2-aminoethyl]aspartamide} (PEG-b-PAsp(DET)) copolymer in aqueous solution. Gd-DTPA-loaded polymeric micelles (Gd-DTPA/m) showed a hydrodynamic diameter of 45 nm and a core size of 22 nm. Confining Gd-DTPA inside the core of the micelles increased the relaxivity of Gd-DTPA more than 13 times (48 mM(-1) s(-1)). In physiological conditions Gd-DTPA/m sustainedly released Gd-DTPA, while the Pt(IV) complexes remain bound to the polymer. Gd-DTPA/m extended the circulation time in plasma and augmented the tumor accumulation of Gd-DTPA leading to successful contrast enhancement of solid tumors. μ-Synchrotron radiation-X-ray fluorescence results confirmed that Gd-DTPA was delivered to the tumor site by the micelles. Our study provides a facile strategy for incorporating contrast agents, dyes and bioactive molecules into nanodevices for developing safe and efficient drug carriers for clinical application. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Precise control of polymer coated nanopores by nanoparticle additives: Insights from computational modeling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eskandari Nasrabad, Afshin; Coalson, Rob D.; Jasnow, David

Polymer-nanoparticle composites are a promising new class of materials for creation of controllable nano-patterned surfaces and nanopores. We use coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations augmented with analytical theory to study the structural transitions of surface grafted polymer layers (brushes) induced by infiltration of nanoparticles that are attracted to the polymers in the layer. We systematically compare two different polymer brush geometries: one where the polymer chains are grafted to a planar surface and the other where the chains are grafted to the inside of a cylindrical nanochannel. We perform a comprehensive study of the effects of the material parameters such asmore » the polymer chain length, chain grafting density, nanoparticle size, strength of attraction between nanoparticles and polymer monomers, and, in the case of the cylindrically grafted brush, the radius of the cylinder. We find a very general behavioral motif for all geometries and parameter values: the height of the polymer brush is non-monotonic in the nanoparticle concentration in solution. As the nanoparticle concentration increases, the brush height first decreases and after passing through a minimum value begins to increase, resulting in the swelling of the nanoparticle infused brush. These morphological features may be useful for devising tunable “smart” nano-devices whose effective dimensions can be reversibly and precisely adjusted by changing the nanoparticle concentration in solution. The results of approximate Self-Consistent Field Theory (SCFT) calculations, applicable in the regime of strong brush stretching, are compared to the simulation results. The SCFT calculations are found to be qualitatively, even semi-quantitatively, accurate when applied within their intended regime of validity, and provide a useful and efficient tool for modeling such materials.« less

Electronic, magnetic and optical properties of B, C, N and F doped MgO monolayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moghadam, A. Dashti; Maskane, P.; Esfandiari, S.

2018-06-01

MgO as one of the alkaline earth oxides has various applications in industry. In this work, we aim to investigate the electronic, optical and magnetic properties of MgO monolayers. Furthermore, monolayer structures with substituted B, N, C and F atoms instead of O atom are studied. These results indicate that MgO layer has possessed potential application in optoelectronic and spintronic nano-devices.

Proteins as Supramolecular Building Blocks for Responsive Materials and Nanodevices

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-20

Wojciechowski, Han Yue Zheng, James E. A. Webb, Céline Valéry, Pall Thordarson , Natalie O. V. Plank, Juliet A. Gerrard, Justin M. Hodgkiss. Functional...materials: Eakins GL, Pandey R, Wojciechowski JP, Zheng  HY, Webb  JEA, Valéry C,  Thordarson  P, Plank NOV, Gerrard  JA, Hodgkiss  JM. 2015:  Functional

Atomic switches: atomic-movement-controlled nanodevices for new types of computing

PubMed Central

Hino, Takami; Hasegawa, Tsuyoshi; Terabe, Kazuya; Tsuruoka, Tohru; Nayak, Alpana; Ohno, Takeo; Aono, Masakazu

2011-01-01

Atomic switches are nanoionic devices that control the diffusion of metal cations and their reduction/oxidation processes in the switching operation to form/annihilate a metal atomic bridge, which is a conductive path between two electrodes in the on-state. In contrast to conventional semiconductor devices, atomic switches can provide a highly conductive channel even if their size is of nanometer order. In addition to their small size and low on-resistance, their nonvolatility has enabled the development of new types of programmable devices, which may achieve all the required functions on a single chip. Three-terminal atomic switches have also been developed, in which the formation and annihilation of a metal atomic bridge between a source electrode and a drain electrode are controlled by a third (gate) electrode. Three-terminal atomic switches are expected to enhance the development of new types of logic circuits, such as nonvolatile logic. The recent development of atomic switches that use a metal oxide as the ionic conductive material has enabled the integration of atomic switches with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices, which will facilitate the commercialization of atomic switches. The novel characteristics of atomic switches, such as their learning and photosensing abilities, are also introduced in the latter part of this review. PMID:27877376

Redox control of molecular motion in switchable artificial nanoscale devices.

PubMed

Credi, Alberto; Semeraro, Monica; Silvi, Serena; Venturi, Margherita

2011-03-15

The design, synthesis, and operation of molecular-scale systems that exhibit controllable motions of their component parts is a topic of great interest in nanoscience and a fascinating challenge of nanotechnology. The development of this kind of species constitutes the premise to the construction of molecular machines and motors, which in a not-too-distant future could find applications in fields such as materials science, information technology, energy conversion, diagnostics, and medicine. In the past 25 years the development of supramolecular chemistry has enabled the construction of an interesting variety of artificial molecular machines. These devices operate via electronic and molecular rearrangements and, like the macroscopic counterparts, they need energy to work as well as signals to communicate with the operator. Here we outline the design principles at the basis of redox switching of molecular motion in artificial nanodevices. Redox processes, chemically, electrically, or photochemically induced, can indeed supply the energy to bring about molecular motions. Moreover, in the case of electrically and photochemically induced processes, electrochemical and photochemical techniques can be used to read the state of the system, and thus to control and monitor the operation of the device. Some selected examples are also reported to describe the most representative achievements in this research area.

Characterization techniques for nano-electronics, with emphasis to electron microscopy. The role of the European Project ANNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armigliato, A.

2008-07-01

In the present and future CMOS technology, due to the ever shrinking geometries of the electronic devices, the availability of techniques capable of performing quantitative analyses of the relevant parameters (structural, chemical, mechanical) at a nanoscale is of a paramount importance. The influence of these features on the electrical performances of the nanodevices is a key issue for the nanoelectronics industry. In the recent years, a significant progress has been made in this field by a number of techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, in particular with the advent of synchrotron sources, ion-microbeam based Rutherford backscattering and channeling spectrometry, and micro Raman spectrometry. In addition, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has achieved an important role in the determination of the dopant depth profile in ultra-shallow junctions (USJs) in silicon. However, the technique which features the ultimate spatial resolution (at the nanometer scale) is scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). In this presentation it will be reported on the nanoanalysis by STEM of two very important physical quantities which need to be controlled in the fabrication processes of nanodevices: the dopant profile in the USJs and the lattice strain that is generated in the Si electrically active regions of isolation structures by the different technological steps. The former quantity is investigated by the so-called Z-contrast high-angle annular dark field (HAADF-STEM) method, whereas the mechanical strain can be two-dimensionally mapped by the convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED-STEM) method. A spatial resolution lower than one nanometer and of a few nanometers can be achieved in the two cases, respectively. To keep the pace with the scientific and technological progress an increasingly wide array of analytical techniques is necessary; their complementary role in the solution of present and future characterization problems must be exploited. Presently, however, European laboratories with high-level expertise in materials characterization still operate in a largely independent way; this adversely affects the competitivity of European science and industry at the international level. For this reason the European Commission has started an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative (I3) in the sixth Framework Programme (now continuing in FP7) and funded a project called ANNA (2006-2010). This acronym stands for European Integrated Activity of Excellence and Networking for Nano and Micro- Electronics Analysis. The consortium includes 12 partners from 7 European countries and is coordinated by the Fondazione B.Kessler (FBK) in Trento (Italy); CNR-IMM is one of the 12 partners. Aim of ANNA is the onset of strong, long-term collaboration among the partners, so to form an integrated multi-site analytical facility, able to offer to the European community a wide variety of top-level analytical expertise and services in the field of micro- and nano-electronics. They include X-ray diffraction and scattering, SIMS, electron microscopy, medium-energy ion scattering, optical and electrical techniques. The project will be focused on three main activities: Networking (standardization of samples and methodologies, establishment of accredited reference laboratories), Transnational Access to laboratories located in the partners' premises to perform specific analytical experiments (an example is given by the two STEM methodologies discussed above) and Joint Research activity, which is targeted at the improvement and extension of the methodologies through a continuous instrumental and technical development. It is planned that the European joint analytical laboratory will continue its activity beyond the end of the project in 2010.

Sensor for Monitoring Nanodevice-Fabrication Plasmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolshakov, Alexander

2004-01-01

The term plasma process diagnostics (PPD) refers to a spectroscopic technique and sensing hardware that have been proposed for monitoring plasma processes used to fabricate electronic devices that feature sizes as small as several nanometers. Nanometer dimensions are characteristic of the quantum level of miniaturization, where single impurity atoms or molecules can drastically change the local properties of the nanostructures. Such changes may be purposely used in nanoscale design but may also be extremely damaging or cause improper operation of the fabricated devices. Determination of temperature and densities of reactants near the developing features is important, since the structural synthesis is affected by characteristics of the local microenvironment. Consequently, sensors capable of nonintrusive monitoring with high sensitivity and high resolution are essential for real-time atomistic control of reaction kinetics and minimizing trace contamination in plasma processes used to fabricate electronic nanodevices. Such process-monitoring sensors are required to be compact, multiparametric, and immune to the harsh environments of processing plasmas. PPD is intended to satisfy these requirements. The specific technique used to implement plasma diagnostics with a PPD sensor would be an advanced version of continuous-wave cavity-ringdown spectroscopy (CW-CRDS) capable of profiling spectral line broadenings in order to derive both Doppler and Stark components. CRDS is based on measurements of the rate of absorption of laser light in an optical resonator. The ultimate sensitivity results from a very long absorption path length within the cavity and immunity to variations in incident laser intensity. The proposed version of this technique would involve the use of multiplexing tunable laser diodes and an actively modulated high-reflectivity optical resonator, thus offering a synergistic combination of simplicity, compactness, high sensitivity, and high resolution. The multiplexing capabilities of diode lasers could be utilized to make the PPD sensor a single, simple, compact, and inexpensive tool for the acquisition of multiparametric data. A PPD sensor would be capable of continuous measurement of such physical parameters as gas temperature, gas velocity, electron number density, and absolute densities of reacting chemical species. A laser beam can be easily adjusted to analyze the immediate vicinity of the growing nanostructures (or features etched down) in real time. The absorption enhancement in an optical cavity would afford the sensitivity needed for measurement of the temperature and densities of species at concentrations significantly lower than measurable by other nonintrusive techniques. It is anticipated that fully developed PPD sensors would enable simultaneous measurement of local temperature and determination of plasma species responsible for the synthesis and functionalization of nanodevices. These sensors would also enable tracking the pathways and origins of damaging contaminants, thereby providing feedback for adjustment of processes to optimize them and reduce contamination. The PPD sensors should also be useful for optimization of conventional microelectronics manufacturing plasma processes. Going beyond plasma processes for fabrication of electronic devices, PPD sensors could be used for monitoring of atoms, molecules, ions, radicals, clusters, and particles in a variety of other settings, including outer space. Because of their high sensitivity, such sensors could also prove useful for detecting traces of illegal drugs and explosives.

Towards bio-silicon interfaces: Formation of an ultra-thin self-hydrated artificial membrane composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and chitosan deposited in high vacuum from the gas-phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Retamal, María J.; Cisternas, Marcelo A.; Gutierrez-Maldonado, Sebastian E.; Perez-Acle, Tomas; Seifert, Birger; Busch, Mark; Huber, Patrick; Volkmann, Ulrich G.

2014-09-01

The recent combination of nanoscale developments with biological molecules for biotechnological research has opened a wide field related to the area of biosensors. In the last years, device manufacturing for medical applications adapted the so-called bottom-up approach, from nanostructures to larger devices. Preparation and characterization of artificial biological membranes is a necessary step for the formation of nano-devices or sensors. In this paper, we describe the formation and characterization of a phospholipid bilayer (dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, DPPC) on a mattress of a polysaccharide (Chitosan) that keeps the membrane hydrated. The deposition of Chitosan (˜25 Å) and DPPC (˜60 Å) was performed from the gas phase in high vacuum onto a substrate of Si(100) covered with its native oxide layer. The layer thickness was controlled in situ using Very High Resolution Ellipsometry (VHRE). Raman spectroscopy studies show that neither Chitosan nor DPPC molecules decompose during evaporation. With VHRE and Atomic Force Microscopy we have been able to detect phase transitions in the membrane. The presence of the Chitosan interlayer as a water reservoir is essential for both DPPC bilayer formation and stability, favoring the appearance of phase transitions. Our experiments show that the proposed sample preparation from the gas phase is reproducible and provides a natural environment for the DPPC bilayer. In future work, different Chitosan thicknesses should be studied to achieve a complete and homogeneous interlayer.

Bendability optimization of flexible optical nanoelectronics via neutral axis engineering

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The enhancement of bendability of flexible nanoelectronics is critically important to realize future portable and wearable nanoelectronics for personal and military purposes. Because there is an enormous variety of materials and structures that are used for flexible nanoelectronic devices, a governing design rule for optimizing the bendability of these nanodevices is required. In this article, we suggest a design rule to optimize the bendability of flexible nanoelectronics through neutral axis (NA) engineering. In flexible optical nanoelectronics, transparent electrodes such as indium tin oxide (ITO) are usually the most fragile under an external load because of their brittleness. Therefore, we representatively focus on the bendability of ITO which has been widely used as transparent electrodes, and the NA is controlled by employing a buffer layer on the ITO layer. First, we independently investigate the effect of the thickness and elastic modulus of a buffer layer on the bendability of an ITO film. Then, we develop a design rule for the bendability optimization of flexible optical nanoelectronics. Because NA is determined by considering both the thickness and elastic modulus of a buffer layer, the design rule is conceived to be applicable regardless of the material and thickness that are used for the buffer layer. Finally, our design rule is applied to optimize the bendability of an organic solar cell, which allows the bending radius to reach about 1 mm. Our design rule is thus expected to provide a great strategy to enhance the bending performance of a variety of flexible nanoelectronics. PMID:22587757

Bendability optimization of flexible optical nanoelectronics via neutral axis engineering.

PubMed

Lee, Sangmin; Kwon, Jang-Yeon; Yoon, Daesung; Cho, Handong; You, Jinho; Kang, Yong Tae; Choi, Dukhyun; Hwang, Woonbong

2012-05-15

The enhancement of bendability of flexible nanoelectronics is critically important to realize future portable and wearable nanoelectronics for personal and military purposes. Because there is an enormous variety of materials and structures that are used for flexible nanoelectronic devices, a governing design rule for optimizing the bendability of these nanodevices is required. In this article, we suggest a design rule to optimize the bendability of flexible nanoelectronics through neutral axis (NA) engineering. In flexible optical nanoelectronics, transparent electrodes such as indium tin oxide (ITO) are usually the most fragile under an external load because of their brittleness. Therefore, we representatively focus on the bendability of ITO which has been widely used as transparent electrodes, and the NA is controlled by employing a buffer layer on the ITO layer. First, we independently investigate the effect of the thickness and elastic modulus of a buffer layer on the bendability of an ITO film. Then, we develop a design rule for the bendability optimization of flexible optical nanoelectronics. Because NA is determined by considering both the thickness and elastic modulus of a buffer layer, the design rule is conceived to be applicable regardless of the material and thickness that are used for the buffer layer. Finally, our design rule is applied to optimize the bendability of an organic solar cell, which allows the bending radius to reach about 1 mm. Our design rule is thus expected to provide a great strategy to enhance the bending performance of a variety of flexible nanoelectronics.

Ordered mesoporous polymer-silica hybrid nanoparticles as vehicles for the intracellular controlled release of macromolecules.

PubMed

Kim, Tae-Wan; Slowing, Igor I; Chung, Po-Wen; Lin, Victor Shang-Yi

2011-01-25

A two-dimensional hexagonal ordered mesoporous polymer-silica hybrid nanoparticle (PSN) material was synthesized by polymerization of acrylate monomers on the surface of SBA-15 mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The structure of the PSN material was analyzed using a series of different techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and N(2) sorption analysis. These structurally ordered mesoporous polymer-silica hybrid nanoparticles were used for the controlled release of membrane-impermeable macromolecules inside eukaryotic cells. The cellular uptake efficiency and biocompatibility of PSN with human cervical cancer cells (HeLa) were investigated. Our results show that the inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of PSN is very high (>100 μg/mL per million cells), while the median effective concentration for the uptake (EC(50)) of PSN is low (EC(50) = 4.4 μg/mL), indicating that PSNs are fairly biocompatible and easily up-taken in vitro. A membrane-impermeable macromolecule, 40 kDa FITC-Dextran, was loaded into the mesopores of PSNs at low pH. We demonstrated that the PSN material could indeed serve as a transmembrane carrier for the controlled release of FITC-Dextran at the pH level inside live HeLa cells. We believe that further developments of this PSN material will lead to a new generation of nanodevices for intracellular controlled delivery applications.

High-performance piezoelectric nanogenerators for self-powered nanosystems: quantitative standards and figures of merit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Wenzhuo

2016-03-01

Harvesting energies from the atmosphere cost-effectively is critical for both addressing worldwide long-term energy needs at the macro-scale, and achieving the sustainable maintenance-free operation of nanodevices at the micro-scale (Wang and Wu 2012 Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 51 11700-21). Piezoelectric nanogenerator (NG) technology has demonstrated its great application potential in harvesting the ubiquitous and abundant mechanical energy. Despite of the progress made in this rapidly-advancing field, a fundamental understanding and common standard for consistently quantifying and evaluating the performance of the various types of piezoelectric NGs is still lacking. In their recent study Crossley and Kar-Narayan (2015 Nanotechnology 26 344001), systematically investigated dynamical properties of piezoelectric NGs by taking into account the effect of driving mechanism and load frequency on NG performance. They further defined the NGs’ figures of merit as energy harvested normalized by applied strain or stress for NGs under strain-driven or stress-driven conditions, which are commonly seen in the vibrational energy harvesting. This work provides new insight and a feasible approach for consistently evaluating piezoelectric nanomaterials and NG devices, which is important for designing and optimizing nanoscale piezoelectric energy harvesters, as well as promoting their applications in emerging areas e.g. the internet of things, wearable devices, and self-powered nanosystems.

High-performance piezoelectric nanogenerators for self-powered nanosystems: quantitative standards and figures of merit.

PubMed

Wu, Wenzhuo

2016-03-18

Harvesting energies from the atmosphere cost-effectively is critical for both addressing worldwide long-term energy needs at the macro-scale, and achieving the sustainable maintenance-free operation of nanodevices at the micro-scale (Wang and Wu 2012 Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 51 11700-21). Piezoelectric nanogenerator (NG) technology has demonstrated its great application potential in harvesting the ubiquitous and abundant mechanical energy. Despite of the progress made in this rapidly-advancing field, a fundamental understanding and common standard for consistently quantifying and evaluating the performance of the various types of piezoelectric NGs is still lacking. In their recent study Crossley and Kar-Narayan (2015 Nanotechnology 26 344001), systematically investigated dynamical properties of piezoelectric NGs by taking into account the effect of driving mechanism and load frequency on NG performance. They further defined the NGs' figures of merit as energy harvested normalized by applied strain or stress for NGs under strain-driven or stress-driven conditions, which are commonly seen in the vibrational energy harvesting. This work provides new insight and a feasible approach for consistently evaluating piezoelectric nanomaterials and NG devices, which is important for designing and optimizing nanoscale piezoelectric energy harvesters, as well as promoting their applications in emerging areas e.g. the internet of things, wearable devices, and self-powered nanosystems.

Biomolecular Specificity Regulated Synthesis of Nanocatalysts and Heterointegration of Photosynthesis Nanodevices

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

TiO2-Au/Pd nanocomposite composed of P25 TiO2 nanoparticles and Au/Pd nanowheels is applied in benzimidazole synthesis as plasmon-enhanced...activity and selectivity. In this work, TiO2-Au/Pd nanocomposite composed of P25 TiO2 nanoparticles and Au/Pd nanowheels is applied in benzimidazole ...Pd Nanocomposite Photocatalyst for Tandem Synthesis of Benzimidazole 2.1 Approaches: Wet-chemical synthetic routes are explored to create

Thermal Conductivity in Nanoporous Gold Films during Electron-Phonon Nonequilibrium

DOE PAGES

Hopkins, Patrick E.; Norris, Pamela M.; Phinney, Leslie M.; ...

2008-01-01

The reduction of nanodevices has given recent attention to nanoporous materials due to their structure and geometry. However, the thermophysical properties of these materials are relatively unknown. In this article, an expression for thermal conductivity of nanoporous structures is derived based on the assumption that the finite size of the ligaments leads to electron-ligament wall scattering. This expression is then used to analyze the thermal conductivity of nanoporous structures in the event of electron-phonon nonequilibrium.

Low-temperature Spin Spray Deposited Ferrite/piezoelectric Thin Film Magnetoelectric Heterostructures with Strong Magnetoelectric Coupling

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-08

more energy efficient, lightweight, compact, and less noisy. Studies on ME heterostructures are mostly based on complex oxide piezoelectric ceramic or...except for a recent demonstration of a spin spray deposited ZnO films [17, 18]. ZnO is a typical piezoelectric material , which makes it a good...erties which makes it applicable in a wide variety of electron, optoelectronic, spintronics and nanodevices [17, 18]. The piezoelectric properties of

Graphene Infrared Transparent Electrode (GITE) and Thermal Enhancer for the Hybrid Energy Nanodevice

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-21

adding LiTFSI and C10H16O4S effectively enhanced the conductivity of gel-based electrolytes. This was attributed to the lithium (Li) ions in the...gel-based electrolyte exhibited the most satisfactory properties, obtaining a device efficiency of 6.75 %. Furthermore, 0.1 M lithium bis...with the 1:1 gel-based electrolyte exhibited the most satisfactory properties, obtaining a device efficiency of 6.75 %. Furthermore, 0.1 M lithium

Electronic, Magnetic and Optical Properties of 2D Metal Nanolayers: A DFT Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhuyan, Prabal Dev; Gupta, Sanjeev K.; Singh, Deobrat; Sonvane, Yogesh; Gajjar, P. N.

2018-03-01

In the recent work, we have investigated the structural, electronic, magnetic and optical properties of graphene-like hexagonal monolayers and multilayers (up to five layers) of 3d-transition metals Fe, Co and Ni based on spin-polarized density functional theory. Here, we have taken two types of pattern namely AA-stacking and AB-stacking for the calculations. The binding energy calculations show that the AA-type configuration is energetically more stable. The calculated binding energies of Fe, Co and Ni-bilayer monolayer are - 3.24, - 2.53 and - 1.94 eV, respectively. The electronic band structures show metallic behavior for all the systems and each configurations of Fe, Co and Ni-atoms. While, the quantum ballistic conductances of these metallic systems are found to be higher for pentalayer than other layered systems. The density of states confirms the ferromagnetic behavior of monolayers and multilayers of Fe and Co having negative spin polarizations. We have also calculated frequency dependent complex dielectric function, electronic energy loss spectrum and reflectance spectrum of monolayer to pentalayer metallic systems. The ferromagnetic material shows different permittivity tensor (ɛ), which is due to high spin magnetic moment for n-layered Fe and Co two-dimensional (2D) nanolayers. The theoretical investigation suggests that the electronic, magnetic and optical properties of 3d-transition metal nanolayers offers great promise for their use in spintronics nanodevices and magneto-optical nanodevices applications.

Asymmetry in Time Evolution of Magnetization in Magnetic Nanostructures

DOE PAGES

Tóbik, Jaroslav; Cambel, Vladimir; Karapetrov, Goran

2015-07-22

Strong interest in nanomagnetism stems from the promise of high storage densities of information through control of ever smaller and smaller ensembles of spins. There is a broad consensus that the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation reliably describes the magnetization dynamics on classical phenomenological level. On the other hand, it is not so evident that the magnetization dynamics governed by this equation contains built-in asymmetry in the case of broad topology sets of symmetric total energy functional surfaces. The magnetization dynamics in such cases shows preference for one particular state from many energetically equivalent available minima. Here, we demonstrate this behavior on amore » simple one-spin model which can be treated analytically. Depending on the ferromagnet geometry and material parameters, this asymmetric behavior can be robust enough to survive even at high temperatures opening simplified venues for controlling magnetic states of nanodevices in practical applications. Using micromagnetic simulations we demonstrate the asymmetry in magnetization dynamics in a real system with reduced symmetry such as Pacman-like nanodot. Finally, exploiting the built-in asymmetry in the dynamics could lead to practical methods of preparing desired spin configurations on nanoscale. Introduction« less

NASA Tech Briefs, January 2004

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Topics covered include: Multisensor Instrument for Real-Time Biological Monitoring; Sensor for Monitoring Nanodevice-Fabrication Plasmas; Backed Bending Actuator; Compact Optoelectronic Compass; Micro Sun Sensor for Spacecraft; Passive IFF: Autonomous Nonintrusive Rapid Identification of Friendly Assets; Finned-Ladder Slow-Wave Circuit for a TWT; Directional Radio-Frequency Identification Tag Reader; Integrated Solar-Energy-Harvesting and -Storage Device; Event-Driven Random-Access-Windowing CCD Imaging System; Stroboscope Controller for Imaging Helicopter Rotors; Software for Checking State-charts; Program Predicts Broadband Noise from a Turbofan Engine; Protocol for a Delay-Tolerant Data-Communication Network; Software Implements a Space-Mission File-Transfer Protocol; Making Carbon-Nanotube Arrays Using Block Copolymers: Part 2; Modular Rake of Pitot Probes; Preloading To Accelerate Slow-Crack-Growth Testing; Miniature Blimps for Surveillance and Collection of Samples; Hybrid Automotive Engine Using Ethanol-Burning Miller Cycle; Fabricating Blazed Diffraction Gratings by X-Ray Lithography; Freeze-Tolerant Condensers; The StarLight Space Interferometer; Champagne Heat Pump; Controllable Sonar Lenses and Prisms Based on ERFs; Measuring Gravitation Using Polarization Spectroscopy; Serial-Turbo-Trellis-Coded Modulation with Rate-1 Inner Code; Enhanced Software for Scheduling Space-Shuttle Processing; Bayesian-Augmented Identification of Stars in a Narrow View; Spacecraft Orbits for Earth/Mars-Lander Radio Relay; and Self-Inflatable/Self-Rigidizable Reflectarray Antenna.

Nucleic acid-based nanoengineering: novel structures for biomedical applications

PubMed Central

Li, Hanying; LaBean, Thomas H.; Leong, Kam W.

2011-01-01

Nanoengineering exploits the interactions of materials at the nanometre scale to create functional nanostructures. It relies on the precise organization of nanomaterials to achieve unique functionality. There are no interactions more elegant than those governing nucleic acids via Watson–Crick base-pairing rules. The infinite combinations of DNA/RNA base pairs and their remarkable molecular recognition capability can give rise to interesting nanostructures that are only limited by our imagination. Over the past years, creative assembly of nucleic acids has fashioned a plethora of two-dimensional and three-dimensional nanostructures with precisely controlled size, shape and spatial functionalization. These nanostructures have been precisely patterned with molecules, proteins and gold nanoparticles for the observation of chemical reactions at the single molecule level, activation of enzymatic cascade and novel modality of photonic detection, respectively. Recently, they have also been engineered to encapsulate and release bioactive agents in a stimulus-responsive manner for therapeutic applications. The future of nucleic acid-based nanoengineering is bright and exciting. In this review, we will discuss the strategies to control the assembly of nucleic acids and highlight the recent efforts to build functional nucleic acid nanodevices for nanomedicine. PMID:23050076

Cold welding of ultrathin gold nanowires.

PubMed

Lu, Yang; Huang, Jian Yu; Wang, Chao; Sun, Shouheng; Lou, Jun

2010-03-01

The welding of metals at the nanoscale is likely to have an important role in the bottom-up fabrication of electrical and mechanical nanodevices. Existing welding techniques use local heating, requiring precise control of the heating mechanism and introducing the possibility of damage. The welding of metals without heating (or cold welding) has been demonstrated, but only at macroscopic length scales and under large applied pressures. Here, we demonstrate that single-crystalline gold nanowires with diameters between 3 and 10 nm can be cold-welded together within seconds by mechanical contact alone, and under relatively low applied pressures. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and in situ measurements reveal that the welds are nearly perfect, with the same crystal orientation, strength and electrical conductivity as the rest of the nanowire. The high quality of the welds is attributed to the nanoscale sample dimensions, oriented-attachment mechanisms and mechanically assisted fast surface-atom diffusion. Welds are also demonstrated between gold and silver, and silver and silver, indicating that the technique may be generally applicable.

Interlocked DNA nanostructures controlled by a reversible logic circuit.

PubMed

Li, Tao; Lohmann, Finn; Famulok, Michael

2014-09-17

DNA nanostructures constitute attractive devices for logic computing and nanomechanics. An emerging interest is to integrate these two fields and devise intelligent DNA nanorobots. Here we report a reversible logic circuit built on the programmable assembly of a double-stranded (ds) DNA [3]pseudocatenane that serves as a rigid scaffold to position two separate branched-out head-motifs, a bimolecular i-motif and a G-quadruplex. The G-quadruplex only forms when preceded by the assembly of the i-motif. The formation of the latter, in turn, requires acidic pH and unhindered mobility of the head-motif containing dsDNA nanorings with respect to the central ring to which they are interlocked, triggered by release oligodeoxynucleotides. We employ these features to convert the structural changes into Boolean operations with fluorescence labelling. The nanostructure behaves as a reversible logic circuit consisting of tandem YES and AND gates. Such reversible logic circuits integrated into functional nanodevices may guide future intelligent DNA nanorobots to manipulate cascade reactions in biological systems.

Interlocked DNA nanostructures controlled by a reversible logic circuit

PubMed Central

Li, Tao; Lohmann, Finn; Famulok, Michael

2014-01-01

DNA nanostructures constitute attractive devices for logic computing and nanomechanics. An emerging interest is to integrate these two fields and devise intelligent DNA nanorobots. Here we report a reversible logic circuit built on the programmable assembly of a double-stranded (ds) DNA [3]pseudocatenane that serves as a rigid scaffold to position two separate branched-out head-motifs, a bimolecular i-motif and a G-quadruplex. The G-quadruplex only forms when preceded by the assembly of the i-motif. The formation of the latter, in turn, requires acidic pH and unhindered mobility of the head-motif containing dsDNA nanorings with respect to the central ring to which they are interlocked, triggered by release oligodeoxynucleotides. We employ these features to convert the structural changes into Boolean operations with fluorescence labelling. The nanostructure behaves as a reversible logic circuit consisting of tandem YES and AND gates. Such reversible logic circuits integrated into functional nanodevices may guide future intelligent DNA nanorobots to manipulate cascade reactions in biological systems. PMID:25229207

Design for a spin-Seebeck diode based on two-dimensional materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fu, Hua-Hua; Wu, Dan-Dan; Gu, Lei

2015-07-01

Studies of the spin-Seebeck effect (SSE) are very important for the development of fundamental science and novel low-power-consumption technologies. The spin-Seebeck diode (SSD), in which the spin current can be driven by a forward temperature gradient but not by a reverse temperature gradient, is a key unit in spin caloritronic devices. Here, we propose a SSD design using two-dimensional (2D) materials such as silicene and phosphorene nanoribbons as the source and drain. Due to their unique band structures and magnetic states, thermally driven spin-up and spin-down currents flow in opposite directions. This mechanism is different from that of the previousmore » one, which uses two permalloy circular disks [Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 047203 (2014)], and the SSD in our design can be easily integrated with gate voltage control. Since the concept of this design is rather general and applicable to many 2D materials, it is promising for the realization and exploitation of SSDs in nanodevices.« less

Wetting and motion behaviors of water droplet on graphene under thermal-electric coupling field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhong-Qiang; Dong, Xin; Ye, Hong-Fei; Cheng, Guang-Gui; Ding, Jian-Ning; Ling, Zhi-Yong

2015-02-01

Wetting dynamics and motion behaviors of a water droplet on graphene are characterized under the electric-thermal coupling field using classical molecular dynamics simulation method. The water droplet on graphene can be driven by the temperature gradient, while the moving direction is dependent on the electric field intensity. Concretely, the water droplet on graphene moves from the low temperature region to the high temperature region for the relatively weak electric field intensity. The motion acceleration increases with the electric field intensity on graphene, whereas the moving direction switches when the electric field intensity increases up to a threshold. The essence is the change from hydrophilic to hydrophobic for the water droplet on graphene at a threshold of the electric field intensity. Moreover, the driven force of the water droplet caused by the overall oscillation of graphene has important influence on the motion behaviors. The results are helpful to control the wettability of graphene and further develop the graphene-based fluidic nanodevices.

Geometrical Vortex Lattice Pinning and Melting in YBaCuO Submicron Bridges.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Papari, G. P.; Glatz, A.; Carillo, F.

Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductors (HTSs), most efforts of researchers have been focused on the fabrication of superconducting devices capable of immobilizing vortices, hence of operating at enhanced temperatures and magnetic fields. Recent findings that geometric restrictions may induce self-arresting hypervortices recovering the dissipation-free state at high fields and temperatures made superconducting strips a mainstream of superconductivity studies. Here in this paper we report on the geometrical melting of the vortex lattice in a wide YBCO submicron bridge preceded by magnetoresistance (MR) oscillations fingerprinting the underlying regular vortex structure. Combined magnetoresistance measurements and numerical simulations unambiguously relate the resistancemore » oscillations to the penetration of vortex rows with intermediate geometrical pinning and uncover the details of geometrical melting. Our findings offer a reliable and reproducible pathway for controlling vortices in geometrically restricted nanodevices and introduce a novel technique of geometrical spectroscopy, inferring detailed information of the structure of the vortex system through a combined use of MR curves and large-scale simulations.« less

Nano-Engineered Biomimetic Optical Sensors for Glucose Monitoring in Diabetes.

PubMed

Rauf, Sajid; Hayat Nawaz, Muhammad Azhar; Badea, Mihaela; Marty, Jean Louis; Hayat, Akhtar

2016-11-17

Diabetes is a rapidly growing disease that can be monitored at an individual level by controlling the blood glucose level, hence minimizing the negative impact of the disease. Significant research efforts have been focused on the design of novel and improved technologies to overcome the limitations of existing glucose analysis methods. In this context, nanotechnology has enabled the diagnosis at the single cell and molecular level with the possibility of incorporation in advanced molecular diagnostic biochips. Recent years have witnessed the exploration and synthesis of various types of nanomaterials with enzyme-like properties, with their subsequent integration into the design of biomimetic optical sensors for glucose monitoring. This review paper will provide insights on the type, nature and synthesis of different biomimetic nanomaterials. Moreover, recent developments in the integration of these nanomaterials for optical glucose biosensing will be highlighted, with a final discussion on the challenges that must be addressed for successful implementation of these nano-devices in the clinical applications is presented.

Nano-Engineered Biomimetic Optical Sensors for Glucose Monitoring in Diabetes

PubMed Central

Rauf, Sajid; Hayat Nawaz, Muhammad Azhar; Badea, Mihaela; Marty, Jean Louis; Hayat, Akhtar

2016-01-01

Diabetes is a rapidly growing disease that can be monitored at an individual level by controlling the blood glucose level, hence minimizing the negative impact of the disease. Significant research efforts have been focused on the design of novel and improved technologies to overcome the limitations of existing glucose analysis methods. In this context, nanotechnology has enabled the diagnosis at the single cell and molecular level with the possibility of incorporation in advanced molecular diagnostic biochips. Recent years have witnessed the exploration and synthesis of various types of nanomaterials with enzyme-like properties, with their subsequent integration into the design of biomimetic optical sensors for glucose monitoring. This review paper will provide insights on the type, nature and synthesis of different biomimetic nanomaterials. Moreover, recent developments in the integration of these nanomaterials for optical glucose biosensing will be highlighted, with a final discussion on the challenges that must be addressed for successful implementation of these nano-devices in the clinical applications is presented. PMID:27869658

Stable optical trapping and sensitive characterization of nanostructures using standing-wave Raman tweezers

PubMed Central

Wu, Mu-ying; Ling, Dong-xiong; Ling, Lin; Li, William; Li, Yong-qing

2017-01-01

Optical manipulation and label-free characterization of nanoscale structures open up new possibilities for assembly and control of nanodevices and biomolecules. Optical tweezers integrated with Raman spectroscopy allows analyzing a single trapped particle, but is generally less effective for individual nanoparticles. The main challenge is the weak gradient force on nanoparticles that is insufficient to overcome the destabilizing effect of scattering force and Brownian motion. Here, we present standing-wave Raman tweezers for stable trapping and sensitive characterization of single isolated nanostructures with a low laser power by combining a standing-wave optical trap with confocal Raman spectroscopy. This scheme has stronger intensity gradients and balanced scattering forces, and thus can be used to analyze many nanoparticles that cannot be measured with single-beam Raman tweezers, including individual single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), graphene flakes, biological particles, SERS-active metal nanoparticles, and high-refractive semiconductor nanoparticles. This would enable sorting and characterization of specific SWCNTs and other nanoparticles based on their increased Raman fingerprints. PMID:28211526

Enzyme Catalysis To Power Micro/Nanomachines

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Enzymes play a crucial role in many biological processes which require harnessing and converting free chemical energy into kinetic forces in order to accomplish tasks. Enzymes are considered to be molecular machines, not only because of their capability of energy conversion in biological systems but also because enzymatic catalysis can result in enhanced diffusion of enzymes at a molecular level. Enlightened by nature’s design of biological machinery, researchers have investigated various types of synthetic micro/nanomachines by using enzymatic reactions to achieve self-propulsion of micro/nanoarchitectures. Yet, the mechanism of motion is still under debate in current literature. Versatile proof-of-concept applications of these enzyme-powered micro/nanodevices have been recently demonstrated. In this review, we focus on discussing enzymes not only as stochastic swimmers but also as nanoengines to power self-propelled synthetic motors. We present an overview on different enzyme-powered micro/nanomachines, the current debate on their motion mechanism, methods to provide motion and speed control, and an outlook of the future potentials of this multidisciplinary field. PMID:27666121

Optical Voltage Sensing Using DNA Origami

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

We explore the potential of DNA nanotechnology for developing novel optical voltage sensing nanodevices that convert a local change of electric potential into optical signals. As a proof-of-concept of the sensing mechanism, we assembled voltage responsive DNA origami structures labeled with a single pair of FRET dyes. The DNA structures were reversibly immobilized on a nanocapillary tip and underwent controlled structural changes upon application of an electric field. The applied field was monitored through a change in FRET efficiency. By exchanging the position of a single dye, we could tune the voltage sensitivity of our DNA origami structure, demonstrating the flexibility and versatility of our approach. The experimental studies were complemented by coarse-grained simulations that characterized voltage-dependent elastic deformation of the DNA nanostructures and the associated change in the distance between the FRET pair. Our work opens a novel pathway for determining the mechanical properties of DNA origami structures and highlights potential applications of dynamic DNA nanostructures as voltage sensors. PMID:29430924

Step-by-step fabrication of a highly oriented crystalline three-dimensional pillared-layer-type metal-organic framework thin film confirmed by synchrotron X-ray diffraction.

PubMed

Otsubo, Kazuya; Haraguchi, Tomoyuki; Sakata, Osami; Fujiwara, Akihiko; Kitagawa, Hiroshi

2012-06-13

Fabrication of a crystalline ordered thin film based on the porous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is one of the practical applications of the future functional nanomaterials. Here, we report the creation of a highly oriented three-dimensional (3-D) porous pillared-layer-type MOF thin film on a metal substrate using a step-by-step approach based on liquid-phase epitaxy. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) study clearly indicates that the thin film is crystalline and its orientation is highly controlled in both horizontal and vertical directions relative to the substrate. This report provides the first confirmation of details of not only the crystallinity but also the orientation of 3-D MOF thin film using synchrotron XRD. Moreover, we also demonstrate its guest adsorption/desorption behavior by using in situ XRD measurements. The results presented here would promise useful insights for fabrication of MOF-based nanodevices in the future.

Hydrogenation-controlled phase transition on two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides and their unique physical and catalytic properties.

PubMed

Qu, Yuanju; Pan, Hui; Kwok, Chi Tat

2016-09-30

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been widely used from nanodevices to energy harvesting/storage because of their tunable physical and chemical properties. In this work, we systematically investigate the effects of hydrogenation on the structural, electronic, magnetic, and catalytic properties of 33 TMDs based on first-principles calculations. We find that the stable phases of TMD monolayers can transit from 1T to 2H phase or vice versa upon the hydrogenation. We show that the hydrogenation can switch their magnetic and electronic states accompanying with the phase transition. The hydrogenation can tune the magnetic states of TMDs among non-, ferro, para-, and antiferro-magnetism and their electronic states among semiconductor, metal, and half-metal. We further show that, out of 33 TMD monolayers, 2H-TiS 2 has impressive catalytic ability comparable to Pt in hydrogen evolution reaction in a wide range of hydrogen coverages. Our findings would shed the light on the multi-functional applications of TMDs.

Layer-dependent band alignment of few layers of blue phosphorus and their van der Waals heterostructures with graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pontes, Renato B.; Miwa, Roberto H.; da Silva, Antônio J. R.; Fazzio, Adalberto; Padilha, José E.

2018-06-01

The structural and electronic properties of few layers of blue phosphorus and their van der Waals heterostructures with graphene were investigated by means of first-principles electronic structure calculations. We study the four energetically most stable stacking configurations for multilayers of blue phosphorus. For all of them, the indirect band-gap semiconductor character, are preserved. We show that the properties of monolayer graphene and single-layer (bilayer) blue phosphorus are preserved in the van der Waals heterostructures. Further, our results reveal that under a perpendicular applied electric field, the position of the band structure of blue phosphorus with respect to that of graphene is tunable, enabling the effective control of the Schottky barrier height. Indeed, for the bilayer blue phosphorene on top of graphene, it is possible to even move the system into an Ohmic contact and induce a doping level of the blue phosphorene. All of these features are fundamental for the design of new nanodevices based on van der Waals heterostructures.

The classical and quantum dynamics of molecular spins on graphene

PubMed Central

Cervetti, Christian; Rettori, Angelo; Pini, Maria Gloria; Cornia, Andrea; Repollés, Ana; Luis, Fernando; Dressel, Martin; Rauschenbach, Stephan; Kern, Klaus; Burghard, Marko; Bogani, Lapo

2015-01-01

Controlling the dynamics of spins on surfaces is pivotal to the design of spintronic1 and quantum computing2 devices. Proposed schemes involve the interaction of spins with graphene to enable surface-state spintronics3,4, and electrical spin-manipulation4-11. However, the influence of the graphene environment on the spin systems has yet to be unraveled12. Here we explore the spin-graphene interaction by studying the classical and quantum dynamics of molecular magnets13 on graphene. While the static spin response remains unaltered, the quantum spin dynamics and associated selection rules are profoundly modulated. The couplings to graphene phonons, to other spins, and to Dirac fermions are quantified using a newly-developed model. Coupling to Dirac electrons introduces a dominant quantum-relaxation channel that, by driving the spins over Villain’s threshold, gives rise to fully-coherent, resonant spin tunneling. Our findings provide fundamental insight into the interaction between spins and graphene, establishing the basis for electrical spin-manipulation in graphene nanodevices. PMID:26641019

Efficient 3D kinetic Monte Carlo method for modeling of molecular structure and dynamics.

PubMed

Panshenskov, Mikhail; Solov'yov, Ilia A; Solov'yov, Andrey V

2014-06-30

Self-assembly of molecular systems is an important and general problem that intertwines physics, chemistry, biology, and material sciences. Through understanding of the physical principles of self-organization, it often becomes feasible to control the process and to obtain complex structures with tailored properties, for example, bacteria colonies of cells or nanodevices with desired properties. Theoretical studies and simulations provide an important tool for unraveling the principles of self-organization and, therefore, have recently gained an increasing interest. The present article features an extension of a popular code MBN EXPLORER (MesoBioNano Explorer) aiming to provide a universal approach to study self-assembly phenomena in biology and nanoscience. In particular, this extension involves a highly parallelized module of MBN EXPLORER that allows simulating stochastic processes using the kinetic Monte Carlo approach in a three-dimensional space. We describe the computational side of the developed code, discuss its efficiency, and apply it for studying an exemplary system. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Geometrical Vortex Lattice Pinning and Melting in YBaCuO Submicron Bridges.

DOE PAGES

Papari, G. P.; Glatz, A.; Carillo, F.; ...

2016-12-23

Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductors (HTSs), most efforts of researchers have been focused on the fabrication of superconducting devices capable of immobilizing vortices, hence of operating at enhanced temperatures and magnetic fields. Recent findings that geometric restrictions may induce self-arresting hypervortices recovering the dissipation-free state at high fields and temperatures made superconducting strips a mainstream of superconductivity studies. Here in this paper we report on the geometrical melting of the vortex lattice in a wide YBCO submicron bridge preceded by magnetoresistance (MR) oscillations fingerprinting the underlying regular vortex structure. Combined magnetoresistance measurements and numerical simulations unambiguously relate the resistancemore » oscillations to the penetration of vortex rows with intermediate geometrical pinning and uncover the details of geometrical melting. Our findings offer a reliable and reproducible pathway for controlling vortices in geometrically restricted nanodevices and introduce a novel technique of geometrical spectroscopy, inferring detailed information of the structure of the vortex system through a combined use of MR curves and large-scale simulations.« less

Enzyme Catalysis To Power Micro/Nanomachines.

PubMed

Ma, Xing; Hortelão, Ana C; Patiño, Tania; Sánchez, Samuel

2016-10-25

Enzymes play a crucial role in many biological processes which require harnessing and converting free chemical energy into kinetic forces in order to accomplish tasks. Enzymes are considered to be molecular machines, not only because of their capability of energy conversion in biological systems but also because enzymatic catalysis can result in enhanced diffusion of enzymes at a molecular level. Enlightened by nature's design of biological machinery, researchers have investigated various types of synthetic micro/nanomachines by using enzymatic reactions to achieve self-propulsion of micro/nanoarchitectures. Yet, the mechanism of motion is still under debate in current literature. Versatile proof-of-concept applications of these enzyme-powered micro/nanodevices have been recently demonstrated. In this review, we focus on discussing enzymes not only as stochastic swimmers but also as nanoengines to power self-propelled synthetic motors. We present an overview on different enzyme-powered micro/nanomachines, the current debate on their motion mechanism, methods to provide motion and speed control, and an outlook of the future potentials of this multidisciplinary field.

A pH-tunable nanofluidic diode with a broad range of rectifying properties.

PubMed

Ali, Mubarak; Ramirez, Patricio; Mafé, Salvador; Neumann, Reinhard; Ensinger, Wolfgang

2009-03-24

The use of fixed charge nanopores in practical applications requires tuning externally the electrostatic interaction between the charged groups and the ionic permeants in order to allow integrating a variety of functions on the same nanostructure. We design, produce, and characterize, theoretically and experimentally, a single-track amphoteric nanopore functionalized with lysine and histidine chains whose positive and negative charges are very sensitive to the external pH. This nanofluidic diode with amphoteric chains attached to the pore surface allows for a broad set of rectification properties supported by a single nanodevice. A definite plus is to functionalize these groups on a conical nanopore with well-defined, controlled structural asymmetry which gives virtually every rectification characteristic that may be required in practical applications. Nanometerscaled amphoteric pores are of general interest because of the potential applications in drug delivery systems, ion-exchange membranes for separation of biomacromolecules, antifouling materials with reduced molecular adsorption, and biochemical sensors.

Structural and functional engineering of one-dimensional nanostructures for device applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Krishna Veer

Fabrication of 1-D nanostructures has been an area of keen interest due to their application in nanodevices. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and semiconducting nanorods are 1-D nanostructures of great importance. There are various challenges related to structural and functional aspects of these materials, which need to be addressed for their adaptation in devices. To this end, two approaches have been developed: (1) structural engineering of the nanorods and (2) functionalization of CNTs for device applications. In first approach, a new technique to produce single crystal semiconducting nanorods was developed. Single crystalline structure of nanorods is essential to obtain reproducible performance. The novel synthesis technique 'template assisted sonoelectrochemical deposition' was utilized to develop 'copper sulfide' and 'copper indium sulfide' nanorods. The use of sonoelectrochemical method resulted in the best deposition rate as compared to stirring-assisted and regular electrochemical deposition, respectively. Observed increase in the bulk electrolyte temperature, high acoustic pressure and shock waves generated from the collapse of bubbles could explain improved mass transport and reaction rate, which results in the formation of single crystal nanorods. Nanorods in the range of 50-200nm in diameter were synthesized and electrically characterized as p-type semiconductors. Excellent structural and repeatable electrical properties of the various nanorods developed by this technique make it suitable for developing nanorods for device applications. In addition, detailed statistical analysis of the polycarbonate templates (50-200 nm nominal pore size) used in electrodeposition provided a better understanding of template's as well as nanorods' structure. In the second approach, we functionally engineered single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with peptide nucleic acid (PNA) to form functional conjugates for molecular electronics. SWNT-PNA-SWNT conjugates were synthesized using carbodiimide chemistry. Also in this work, the electric transport measurements of SWNT-PNA conjugates are reported for the first time. Corresponding analysis reveals that these conjugates exhibit diodic behaviour and in some devices negative differential resistance (NDR) was also observed. The unique electrical and structural properties of these conjugates make them a potential candidate for application in CNT based nanodevices. Hence, this work demonstrates novel techniques to functionally and structurally engineer 1-D nanomaterials for device applications.

Interfacing DNA nanodevices with biology: challenges, solutions and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinther, Mathias; Kjems, Jørgen

2016-08-01

The cellular machinery performs millions of complex reactions with extreme precision at nanoscale. From studying these reactions, scientists have become inspired to build artificial nanosized molecular devices with programmed functions. One of the fundamental tools in designing and creating these nanodevices is molecular self-assembly. In nature, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is inarguably one of the most remarkable self-assembling molecules. Governed by the Watson-Crick base-pairing rules, DNA assembles with a structural reliability and predictability based on sequence composition unlike any other complex biological polymer. This consistency has enabled rational design of hundreds of two- and three-dimensional shapes with a molecular precision and homogeneity not preceded by any other known technology at the nanometer scale. During the last two decades, DNA nanotechnology has undergone a rapid evolution pioneered by the work of Nadrian Seeman (Kallenbach et al 1983 Nature 205 829-31). Especially the introduction of the versatile DNA Origami technique by Rothemund (2006 Nature 440 297-302) led to an efflorescence of new DNA-based self-assembled nanostructures (Andersen et al 2009 Nature 459 73-6, Douglas et al 2009 Nature 459 414-8, Dietz et al 2009 Science 325 725-30, Han et al 2011 Science 332 342-6, Iinuma et al 2014 Science 344 65-9), and variations of this technique have contributed to an increasing repertoire of DNA nanostructures (Wei et al 2012 Nature 485 623-6, Ke et al 2012 Science 338 1177-83, Benson et al 2015 Nature 523 441-4, Zhang et al 2015 Nat. Nanotechnol. 10 779-84, Scheible et al 2015 Small 11 5200-5). These advances have naturally triggered the question: What can these DNA nanostructures be used for? One of the leading proposals of use for DNA nanotechnology has been in biology and biomedicine acting as a molecular ‘nanorobot’ or smart drug interacting with the cellular machinery. In this review, we will explore and examine the perspective of DNA nanotechnology for such use. We summarize which requirements DNA nanostructures must fulfil to function in cellular environments and inside living organisms. In addition, we highlight recent advances in interfacing DNA nanostructures with biology.

Switchable host-guest systems on surfaces.

PubMed

Yang, Ying-Wei; Sun, Yu-Long; Song, Nan

2014-07-15

CONSPECTUS: For device miniaturization, nanotechnology follows either the "top-down" approach scaling down existing larger-scale devices or the "bottom-up' approach assembling the smallest possible building blocks to functional nanoscale entities. For synthetic nanodevices, self-assembly on surfaces is a superb method to achieve useful functions and enable their interactions with the surrounding world. Consequently, adaptability and responsiveness to external stimuli are other prerequisites for their successful operation. Mechanically interlocked molecules such as rotaxanes and catenanes, and their precursors, that is, molecular switches and supramolecular switches including pseudorotaxanes, are molecular machines or prototypes of machines capable of mechanical motion induced by chemical signals, biological inputs, light or redox processes as the external stimuli. Switching of these functional host-guest systems on surfaces becomes a fundamental requirement for artificial molecular machines to work, mimicking the molecular machines in nature, such as proteins and their assemblies operating at dynamic interfaces such as the surfaces of cell membranes. Current research endeavors in material science and technology are focused on developing either a new class of materials or materials with novel/multiple functionalities by shifting host-guest chemistry from solution phase to surfaces. In this Account, we present our most recent attempts of building monolayers of rotaxanes/pseudorotaxanes on surfaces, providing stimuli-induced macroscopic effects and further understanding on the switchable host-guest systems at interfaces. Biocompatible versions of molecular machines based on synthetic macrocycles, such as cucurbiturils, pillararenes, calixarenes, and cyclodextrins, have been employed to form self-assembled monolayers of gates on the surfaces of mesoporous silica nanoparticles to regulate the controlled release of cargo/drug molecules under a range of external stimuli, such as light, pH variations, competitive binding, and enzyme. Rotaxanes have also been assembled onto the surfaces of gold nanodisks and microcantilevers to realize active molecular plasmonics and synthetic molecular actuators for device fabrication and function. Pillararenes have been successfully used to control and aid the synthesis of gold nanoparticles, semiconducting quantum dots, and magnetic nanoparticles. The resulting organic-inorganic hydrid nanomaterials have been successfully used for controlled self-assembly, herbicide sensing and detection, pesticide removal, and so forth, taking advantage of the selective binding of pillarenes toward target molecules. Cyclodextrins have also been successfully functionalized onto the surface of gold nanoparticles to serve as recycling extractors for C60. Many interesting prototypes of nanodevices based on synthetic macrocycles and their host-guest chemistry have been constructed and served for different potential applications. This Account will be a summary of the efforts made mainly by us, and others, on the host-guest chemistry of synthetic macrocyclic compounds on the surfaces of different solid supports.

Computational Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology at NASA ARC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saini, Subhash; Kutler, Paul (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

Both physical and economic considerations indicate that the scaling era of CMOS will run out of steam around the year 2010. However, physical laws also indicate that it is possible to compute at a rate of a billion times present speeds with the expenditure of only one Watt of electrical power. NASA has long-term needs where ultra-small semiconductor devices are needed for critical applications: high performance, low power, compact computers for intelligent autonomous vehicles and Petaflop computing technology are some key examples. To advance the design, development, and production of future generation micro- and nano-devices, IT Modeling and Simulation Group has been started at NASA Ames with a goal to develop an integrated simulation environment that addresses problems related to nanoelectronics and molecular nanotechnology. Overview of nanoelectronics and nanotechnology research activities being carried out at Ames Research Center will be presented. We will also present the vision and the research objectives of the IT Modeling and Simulation Group including the applications of nanoelectronic based devices relevant to NASA missions.

Computational Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology at NASA ARC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saini, Subhash

1998-01-01

Both physical and economic considerations indicate that the scaling era of CMOS will run out of steam around the year 2010. However, physical laws also indicate that it is possible to compute at a rate of a billion times present speeds with the expenditure of only one Watt of electrical power. NASA has long-term needs where ultra-small semiconductor devices are needed for critical applications: high performance, low power, compact computers for intelligent autonomous vehicles and Petaflop computing technolpgy are some key examples. To advance the design, development, and production of future generation micro- and nano-devices, IT Modeling and Simulation Group has been started at NASA Ames with a goal to develop an integrated simulation environment that addresses problems related to nanoelectronics and molecular nanotecnology. Overview of nanoelectronics and nanotechnology research activities being carried out at Ames Research Center will be presented. We will also present the vision and the research objectives of the IT Modeling and Simulation Group including the applications of nanoelectronic based devices relevant to NASA missions.

Physical Realization of a Supervised Learning System Built with Organic Memristive Synapses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yu-Pu; Bennett, Christopher H.; Cabaret, Théo; Vodenicarevic, Damir; Chabi, Djaafar; Querlioz, Damien; Jousselme, Bruno; Derycke, Vincent; Klein, Jacques-Olivier

2016-09-01

Multiple modern applications of electronics call for inexpensive chips that can perform complex operations on natural data with limited energy. A vision for accomplishing this is implementing hardware neural networks, which fuse computation and memory, with low cost organic electronics. A challenge, however, is the implementation of synapses (analog memories) composed of such materials. In this work, we introduce robust, fastly programmable, nonvolatile organic memristive nanodevices based on electrografted redox complexes that implement synapses thanks to a wide range of accessible intermediate conductivity states. We demonstrate experimentally an elementary neural network, capable of learning functions, which combines four pairs of organic memristors as synapses and conventional electronics as neurons. Our architecture is highly resilient to issues caused by imperfect devices. It tolerates inter-device variability and an adaptable learning rule offers immunity against asymmetries in device switching. Highly compliant with conventional fabrication processes, the system can be extended to larger computing systems capable of complex cognitive tasks, as demonstrated in complementary simulations.

A 2-DOF microstructure-dependent model for the coupled torsion/bending instability of rotational nanoscanner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keivani, M.; Abadian, N.; Koochi, A.; Mokhtari, J.; Abadyan, M.

2016-10-01

It has been well established that the physical performance of nanodevices might be affected by the microstructure. Herein, a two-degree-of-freedom model base on the modified couple stress theory is developed to incorporate the impact of microstructure in the torsion/bending coupled instability of rotational nanoscanner. Effect of microstructure dependency on the instability parameters is determined as a function of the microstructure parameter, bending/torsion coupling ratio, van der Waals force parameter and geometrical dimensions. It is found that the bending/torsion coupling substantially affects the stable behavior of the scanners especially those with long rotational beam elements. Impact of microstructure on instability voltage of the nanoscanner depends on coupling ratio and the conquering bending mode over torsion mode. This effect is more highlighted for higher values of coupling ratio. Depending on the geometry and material characteristics, the presented model is able to simulate both hardening behavior (due to microstructure) and softening behavior (due to torsion/bending coupling) of the nanoscanners.

Effects of mechanical strain on the performance of germanene sheets: Strength, failure behavior, and electronic structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Ning; Wang, Huan; Liu, Long; Guo, Weimin; Chen, Xiangfeng; Wu, Chi-Man Lawrence

2018-02-01

As a two-dimensional material with a low-buckling structure, germanene has attracted considerable interest because of its excellent physical properties, such as massless Dirac fermions and quantum spin Hall effect. The mechanical characteristics of germanene are of the utmost importance when one is assessing its viability for nanodevices, especially for ones with defects. In this work, the stabilities, mechanical properties, and changes in electronic properties under mechanical strain for both pristine and defective germanene sheets were studied and analyzed with use of density functional theory. The mechanical properties of defect-free germanene exhibited obvious anisotropy along different directions. The mechanical properties of germanene sheets exhibited high sensitivity to the defect parameters, such as the linear density of vacancies, the width of the cracks, and the inflection angles caused by the grain boundaries. In addition, the applied mechanical strain changed the electronic properties of germanene to a large extent. The information obtained will be useful for the understanding and potential application of germanene.

Laser-Induced Graphene Formation on Wood.

PubMed

Ye, Ruquan; Chyan, Yieu; Zhang, Jibo; Li, Yilun; Han, Xiao; Kittrell, Carter; Tour, James M

2017-10-01

Wood as a renewable naturally occurring resource has been the focus of much research and commercial interests in applications ranging from building construction to chemicals production. Here, a facile approach is reported to transform wood into hierarchical porous graphene using CO 2 laser scribing. Studies reveal that the crosslinked lignocellulose structure inherent in wood with higher lignin content is more favorable for the generation of high-quality graphene than wood with lower lignin content. Because of its high electrical conductivity (≈10 Ω per square), graphene patterned on wood surfaces can be readily fabricated into various high-performance devices, such as hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution electrodes for overall water splitting with high reaction rates at low overpotentials, and supercapacitors for energy storage with high capacitance. The versatility of this technique in formation of multifunctional wood hybrids can inspire both research and industrial interest in the development of wood-derived graphene materials and their nanodevices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Resonant antenna probes for tip-enhanced infrared near-field microscopy.

PubMed

Huth, Florian; Chuvilin, Andrey; Schnell, Martin; Amenabar, Iban; Krutokhvostov, Roman; Lopatin, Sergei; Hillenbrand, Rainer

2013-03-13

We report the development of infrared-resonant antenna probes for tip-enhanced optical microscopy. We employ focused-ion-beam machining to fabricate high-aspect ratio gold cones, which replace the standard tip of a commercial Si-based atomic force microscopy cantilever. Calculations show large field enhancements at the tip apex due to geometrical antenna resonances in the cones, which can be precisely tuned throughout a broad spectral range from visible to terahertz frequencies by adjusting the cone length. Spectroscopic analysis of these probes by electron energy loss spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared near-field spectroscopy corroborates their functionality as resonant antennas and verifies the broad tunability. By employing the novel probes in a scattering-type near-field microscope and imaging a single tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), we experimentally demonstrate high-performance mid-infrared nanoimaging of molecular absorption. Our probes offer excellent perspectives for optical nanoimaging and nanospectroscopy, pushing the detection and resolution limits in many applications, including nanoscale infrared mapping of organic, molecular, and biological materials, nanocomposites, or nanodevices.

Mechanical Properties in Metal-Organic Frameworks: Emerging Opportunities and Challenges for Device Functionality and Technological Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burtch, Nicholas C.; Heinen, Jurn; Bennett, Thomas D.

We report that some of the most remarkable recent developments in metal–organic framework (MOF) performance properties can only be rationalized by the mechanical properties endowed by their hybrid inorganic–organic nanoporous structures. While these characteristics create intriguing application prospects, the same attributes also present challenges that will need to be overcome to enable the integration of MOFs with technologies where these promising traits can be exploited. In this review, emerging opportunities and challenges are identified for MOF-enabled device functionality and technological applications that arise from their fascinating mechanical properties. This is discussed not only in the context of their more well-studiedmore » gas storage and separation applications, but also for instances where MOFs serve as components of functional nanodevices. Recent advances in understanding MOF mechanical structure–property relationships due to attributes such as defects and interpenetration are highlighted, and open questions related to state-of-the-art computational approaches for quantifying their mechanical properties are critically discussed.« less

Two-dimensional n -InSe/p -GeSe(SnS) van der Waals heterojunctions: High carrier mobility and broadband performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Cong-xin; Du, Juan; Huang, Xiao-wei; Xiao, Wen-bo; Xiong, Wen-qi; Wang, Tian-xing; Wei, Zhong-ming; Jia, Yu; Shi, Jun-jie; Li, Jing-bo

2018-03-01

Recently, constructing van der Waals (vdW) heterojunctions by stacking different two-dimensional (2D) materials has been considered to be effective strategy to obtain the desired properties. Here, through first-principles calculations, we find theoretically that the 2D n -InSe/p -GeSe(SnS) vdW heterojunctions are the direct-band-gap semiconductor with typical type-II band alignment, facilitating the effective separation of photogenerated electron and hole pairs. Moreover, they possess the high optical absorption strength (˜105 ), broad spectrum width, and excellent carrier mobility (˜103c m2V-1s-1 ). Interestingly, under the influences of the interlayer coupling and external electric field, the characteristics of type-II band alignment is robust, while the band-gap values and band offset are tunable. These results indicate that 2D n -InSe/p -GeSe(SnS) heterojunctions possess excellent optoelectronic and transport properties, and thus can become good candidates for next-generation optoelectronic nanodevices.

Full-wafer fabrication by nanostencil lithography of micro/nanomechanical mass sensors monolithically integrated with CMOS.

PubMed

Arcamone, J; van den Boogaart, M A F; Serra-Graells, F; Fraxedas, J; Brugger, J; Pérez-Murano, F

2008-07-30

Wafer-scale nanostencil lithography (nSL) is used to define several types of silicon mechanical resonators, whose dimensions range from 20 µm down to 200 nm, monolithically integrated with CMOS circuits. We demonstrate the simultaneous patterning by nSL of ∼2000 nanodevices per wafer by post-processing standard CMOS substrates using one single metal evaporation, pattern transfer to silicon and subsequent etch of the sacrificial layer. Resonance frequencies in the MHz range were measured in air and vacuum. As proof-of-concept towards an application as high performance sensors, CMOS integrated nano/micromechanical resonators are successfully implemented as ultra-sensitive areal mass sensors. These devices demonstrate the ability to monitor the deposition of gold layers whose average thickness is smaller than a monolayer. Their areal mass sensitivity is in the range of 10(-11) g cm(-2) Hz(-1), and their thickness resolution corresponds to approximately a thousandth of a monolayer.

Mechanical Properties in Metal-Organic Frameworks: Emerging Opportunities and Challenges for Device Functionality and Technological Applications

DOE PAGES

Burtch, Nicholas C.; Heinen, Jurn; Bennett, Thomas D.; ...

2017-11-17

We report that some of the most remarkable recent developments in metal–organic framework (MOF) performance properties can only be rationalized by the mechanical properties endowed by their hybrid inorganic–organic nanoporous structures. While these characteristics create intriguing application prospects, the same attributes also present challenges that will need to be overcome to enable the integration of MOFs with technologies where these promising traits can be exploited. In this review, emerging opportunities and challenges are identified for MOF-enabled device functionality and technological applications that arise from their fascinating mechanical properties. This is discussed not only in the context of their more well-studiedmore » gas storage and separation applications, but also for instances where MOFs serve as components of functional nanodevices. Recent advances in understanding MOF mechanical structure–property relationships due to attributes such as defects and interpenetration are highlighted, and open questions related to state-of-the-art computational approaches for quantifying their mechanical properties are critically discussed.« less

Mechanical Properties in Metal-Organic Frameworks: Emerging Opportunities and Challenges for Device Functionality and Technological Applications.

PubMed

Burtch, Nicholas C; Heinen, Jurn; Bennett, Thomas D; Dubbeldam, David; Allendorf, Mark D

2017-11-17

Some of the most remarkable recent developments in metal-organic framework (MOF) performance properties can only be rationalized by the mechanical properties endowed by their hybrid inorganic-organic nanoporous structures. While these characteristics create intriguing application prospects, the same attributes also present challenges that will need to be overcome to enable the integration of MOFs with technologies where these promising traits can be exploited. In this review, emerging opportunities and challenges are identified for MOF-enabled device functionality and technological applications that arise from their fascinating mechanical properties. This is discussed not only in the context of their more well-studied gas storage and separation applications, but also for instances where MOFs serve as components of functional nanodevices. Recent advances in understanding MOF mechanical structure-property relationships due to attributes such as defects and interpenetration are highlighted, and open questions related to state-of-the-art computational approaches for quantifying their mechanical properties are critically discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Quasi-Two-Dimensional h-BN/β-Ga2O3 Heterostructure Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor.

PubMed

Kim, Janghyuk; Mastro, Michael A; Tadjer, Marko J; Kim, Jihyun

2017-06-28

β-gallium oxide (β-Ga 2 O 3 ) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) heterostructure-based quasi-two-dimensional metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MISFETs) were demonstrated by integrating mechanical exfoliation of (quasi)-two-dimensional materials with a dry transfer process, wherein nanothin flakes of β-Ga 2 O 3 and h-BN were utilized as the channel and gate dielectric, respectively, of the MISFET. The h-BN dielectric, which has an extraordinarily flat and clean surface, provides a minimal density of charged impurities on the interface between β-Ga 2 O 3 and h-BN, resulting in superior device performances (maximum transconductance, on/off ratio, subthreshold swing, and threshold voltage) compared to those of the conventional back-gated configurations. Also, double-gating of the fabricated device was demonstrated by biasing both top and bottom gates, achieving the modulation of the threshold voltage. This heterostructured wide-band-gap nanodevice shows a new route toward stable and high-power nanoelectronic devices.

Carbon-doping-induced negative differential resistance in armchair phosphorene nanoribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Caixia; Xia, Congxin; Wang, Tianxing; Liu, Yufang

2017-03-01

By using a combined method of density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green’s function formalism, we investigate the electronic transport properties of carbon-doped armchair phosphorene nanoribbons (APNRs). The results show that C atom doping can strongly affect the electronic transport properties of the APNR and change it from semiconductor to metal. Meanwhile, obvious negative differential resistance (NDR) behaviors are obtained by tuning the doping position and concentration. In particular, with reducing doping concentration, NDR peak position can enter into mV bias range. These results provide a theoretical support to design the related nanodevice by tuning the doping position and concentration in the APNRs. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11274096), the University Science and Technology Innovation Team Support Project of Henan Province (No. 13IRTSTHN016), the University key Science Research Project of Henan Province (No.16A140043). The calculation about this work was supported by the High Performance Computing Center of Henan Normal University.

Twisted ultrathin silicon nanowires: A possible torsion electromechanical nanodevice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, J. C.; Justo, J. F.

2014-11-01

Nanowires have been considered for a number of applications in nanometrology. In such a context, we have explored the possibility of using ultrathin twisted nanowires as torsion nanobalances to probe forces and torques at molecular level with high precision, a nanoscale system analogous to the Coulomb's torsion balance electrometer. In order to achieve this goal, we performed a first-principles investigation on the structural and electronic properties of twisted silicon nanowires, in their pristine and hydrogenated forms. The results indicated that wires with pentagonal and hexagonal cross-sections are the thinnest stable silicon nanostructures. Additionally, all wires followed a Hooke's law behavior for small twisting deformations. Hydrogenation leads to spontaneous twisting, but with angular spring constants considerably smaller than the ones for the respective pristine forms. We observed considerable changes on the nanowire electronic properties upon twisting, which allows to envision the possibility of correlating the torsional angular deformation with the nanowire electronic transport. This could ultimately allow a direct access to measurements on interatomic forces at molecular level.

Time-Resolved Luminescence Nanothermometry with Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers in Nanodiamonds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Pei-Chang; Chen, Oliver Y.; Tzeng, Yan-Kai; Liu, Hsiou-Yuan; Hsu, Hsiang; Huang, Shaio-Chih; Chen, Jeson; Yee, Fu-Ghoul; Chang, Huan-Cheng; Chang, Ming-Shien

2016-05-01

Measuring thermal properties with nanoscale spatial resolution either at or far from equilibrium is gaining importance in many scientific and engineering applications. Although negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (NV-) centers in diamond have recently emerged as promising nanometric temperature sensors, most previous measurements were performed under steady state conditions. Here we employ a three-point sampling method which not only enables real-time detection of temperature changes over +/-100 K with a sensitivity of 2 K/(Hz)1/2, but also allows the study of nanometer scale heat transfer with a temporal resolution of better than 1 μs with the use of a pump-probe-type experiment. In addition to temperature sensing, we further show that nanodiamonds conjugated with gold nanorods, as optically-activated dual-functional nanoheaters and nanothermometers, are useful for highly localized hyperthermia treatment. We experimentally demonstrated time-resolved fluorescence nanothermometry, and the validity of the measurements was verified with finite-element numerical simulations. The approaches provided here will be useful for probing dynamical thermal properties on nanodevices in operation.

Physical Realization of a Supervised Learning System Built with Organic Memristive Synapses.

PubMed

Lin, Yu-Pu; Bennett, Christopher H; Cabaret, Théo; Vodenicarevic, Damir; Chabi, Djaafar; Querlioz, Damien; Jousselme, Bruno; Derycke, Vincent; Klein, Jacques-Olivier

2016-09-07

Multiple modern applications of electronics call for inexpensive chips that can perform complex operations on natural data with limited energy. A vision for accomplishing this is implementing hardware neural networks, which fuse computation and memory, with low cost organic electronics. A challenge, however, is the implementation of synapses (analog memories) composed of such materials. In this work, we introduce robust, fastly programmable, nonvolatile organic memristive nanodevices based on electrografted redox complexes that implement synapses thanks to a wide range of accessible intermediate conductivity states. We demonstrate experimentally an elementary neural network, capable of learning functions, which combines four pairs of organic memristors as synapses and conventional electronics as neurons. Our architecture is highly resilient to issues caused by imperfect devices. It tolerates inter-device variability and an adaptable learning rule offers immunity against asymmetries in device switching. Highly compliant with conventional fabrication processes, the system can be extended to larger computing systems capable of complex cognitive tasks, as demonstrated in complementary simulations.

First-principles calculations on strain and electric field induced band modulation and phase transition of bilayer WSe2sbnd MoS2 heterostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Xiang; Yu, Ke

2018-04-01

A purposeful modulation of physical properties of material via change external conditions has long captured people's interest and can provide many opportunities to improve the specific performance of electronic devices. In this work, a comprehensive first-principles survey was performed to elucidate that the bandgap and electronic properties of WSe2sbnd MoS2 heterostructure exhibited unusual response to exterior strain and electric field in comparison with pristine structures. It demonstrates that the WSe2sbnd MoS2 is a typical type-II heterostructure, and thus the electron-hole pairs can be effectively spatially separated. The external effects can trigger the electronic phase transition from semiconducting to metallic state, which originates from the internal electric evolution induced energy-level shift. Interestingly, the applied strain shows no direction-depended character for the modulation of bandgap of WSe2sbnd MoS2 heterostructure, while it exists in the electric field tuning processes and strongly depends on the direction of the electric field. Our findings elucidate the tunable electronic property of bilayer WSe2sbnd MoS2 heterostructure, and would provide a valuable reference to design the electronic nanodevices.

The polarization modulation and fabrication method of two dimensional silica photonic crystals based on UV nanoimprint lithography and hot imprint

PubMed Central

Guo, Shuai; Niu, Chunhui; Liang, Liang; Chai, Ke; Jia, Yaqing; Zhao, Fangyin; Li, Ya; Zou, Bingsuo; Liu, Ruibin

2016-01-01

Based on a silica sol-gel technique, highly-structurally ordered silica photonic structures were fabricated by UV lithography and hot manual nanoimprint efforts, which makes large-scale fabrication of silica photonic crystals easy and results in low-cost. These photonic structures show perfect periodicity, smooth and flat surfaces and consistent aspect ratios, which are checked by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition, glass substrates with imprinted photonic nanostructures show good diffraction performance in both transmission and reflection mode. Furthermore, the reflection efficiency can be enhanced by 5 nm Au nanoparticle coating, which does not affect the original imprint structure. Also the refractive index and dielectric constant of the imprinted silica is close to that of the dielectric layer in nanodevices. In addition, the polarization characteristics of the reflected light can be modulated by stripe nanostructures through changing the incident light angle. The experimental findings match with theoretical results, making silica photonic nanostructures functional integration layers in many optical or optoelectronic devices, such as LED and microlasers to enhance the optical performance and modulate polarization properties in an economical and large-scale way. PMID:27698465

Multi-parameter geometrical scaledown study for energy optimization of MTJ and related spintronics nanodevices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farhat, I. A. H.; Alpha, C.; Gale, E.; Atia, D. Y.; Stein, A.; Isakovic, A. F.

The scaledown of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ) and related nanoscale spintronics devices poses unique challenges for energy optimization of their performance. We demonstrate the dependence of the switching current on the scaledown variable, while considering the influence of geometric parameters of MTJ, such as the free layer thickness, tfree, lateral size of the MTJ, w, and the anisotropy parameter of the MTJ. At the same time, we point out which values of the saturation magnetization, Ms, and anisotropy field, Hk, can lead to lowering the switching current and overall decrease of the energy needed to operate an MTJ. It is demonstrated that scaledown via decreasing the lateral size of the MTJ, while allowing some other parameters to be unconstrained, can improve energy performance by a measurable factor, shown to be the function of both geometric and physical parameters above. Given the complex interdependencies among both families of parameters, we developed a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm that can simultaneously lower energy of operation and the switching current density. Results we obtained in scaledown study and via PSO optimization are compared to experimental results. Support by Mubadala-SRC 2012-VJ-2335 is acknowledged, as are staff at Cornell-CNF and BNL-CFN.

The polarization modulation and fabrication method of two dimensional silica photonic crystals based on UV nanoimprint lithography and hot imprint.

PubMed

Guo, Shuai; Niu, Chunhui; Liang, Liang; Chai, Ke; Jia, Yaqing; Zhao, Fangyin; Li, Ya; Zou, Bingsuo; Liu, Ruibin

2016-10-04

Based on a silica sol-gel technique, highly-structurally ordered silica photonic structures were fabricated by UV lithography and hot manual nanoimprint efforts, which makes large-scale fabrication of silica photonic crystals easy and results in low-cost. These photonic structures show perfect periodicity, smooth and flat surfaces and consistent aspect ratios, which are checked by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition, glass substrates with imprinted photonic nanostructures show good diffraction performance in both transmission and reflection mode. Furthermore, the reflection efficiency can be enhanced by 5 nm Au nanoparticle coating, which does not affect the original imprint structure. Also the refractive index and dielectric constant of the imprinted silica is close to that of the dielectric layer in nanodevices. In addition, the polarization characteristics of the reflected light can be modulated by stripe nanostructures through changing the incident light angle. The experimental findings match with theoretical results, making silica photonic nanostructures functional integration layers in many optical or optoelectronic devices, such as LED and microlasers to enhance the optical performance and modulate polarization properties in an economical and large-scale way.

Characterization of GaN microstructures grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lo, Ikai; Pang, Wen-Yuan; Hsu, Yu-Chi

2013-06-15

The characterization of GaN microstructures grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy on LiAlO{sub 2} substrate was studied by cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence measurements. We demonstrated that the cathodoluminescence from oblique semi-polar surfaces of mushroom-shaped GaN was much brighter than that from top polar surface due to the reduction of polarization field on the oblique semi-polar surfaces. It implies that the oblique semi-polar surface is superior for the light-emitting surface of wurtzite nano-devices.

Mechanical and optical nanodevices in single-crystal quartz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohn, Young-Ik; Miller, Rachel; Venkataraman, Vivek; Lončar, Marko

2017-12-01

Single-crystal α-quartz, one of the most widely used piezoelectric materials, has enabled a wide range of timing applications. Owing to the fact that an integrated thin-film based quartz platform is not available, most of these applications rely on macroscopic, bulk crystal-based devices. Here, we show that the Faraday cage angled-etching technique can be used to realize nanoscale electromechanical and photonic devices in quartz. Using this approach, we demonstrate quartz nanomechanical cantilevers and ring resonators featuring Qs of 4900 and 8900, respectively.

Injectable Ceramic Microcast Silicon Carbonitride (SiCN) Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) for Extreme Temperature Environments with Extension: Micro Packages for Nano-Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

pyrolyzed to produce the ceramic (SiCN) parts, or they may be retained in the polymeric state and used as high-temperature polymer /glass MEMS devices. Two...structure and the SU8 /wafer is weak due to the Teflon coating. (j) A free standing polymer structure results. The structure is then crosslinked and... polymer . Further efforts are necessary to identify the least damaging rinsing chemicals, that is, chemicals which would not contaminate polymerized

Careers and people

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2009-09-01

IBM scientist wins magnetism prizes Stuart Parkin, an applied physicist at IBM's Almaden Research Center, has won the European Geophysical Society's Néel Medal and the Magnetism Award from the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) for his fundamental contributions to nanodevices used in information storage. Parkin's research on giant magnetoresistance in the late 1980s led IBM to develop computer hard drives that packed 1000 times more data onto a disk; his recent work focuses on increasing the storage capacity of solid-state electronic devices.

ZnS-paper based flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sultana, Ayesha; Middya, Tapas Ranjan; Mandal, Dipankar

2018-04-01

Here, we presented a novel, cost effective approach to fabricate flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator (NG) consisting of ZnS nanowires (NWs) grown upon cellulose. An output voltage of 4 V is generated from the nanocomposite paper (NC-paper) based NG. Subsequently, it has the capability to power Light Emitting Diode (LED) and charging up capacitor. The corresponding energy stored in the capacitor (1 µF) is 16 µJ. Thus, the fabricated NC-paper based NG can be used for smart textile structures, wearable and self-powered nanodevices.

Symmetric scrolled packings of multilayered carbon nanoribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savin, A. V.; Korznikova, E. A.; Lobzenko, I. P.; Baimova, Yu. A.; Dmitriev, S. V.

2016-06-01

Scrolled packings of single-layer and multilayer graphene can be used for the creation of supercapacitors, nanopumps, nanofilters, and other nanodevices. The full atomistic simulation of graphene scrolls is restricted to consideration of relatively small systems in small time intervals. To overcome this difficulty, a two-dimensional chain model making possible an efficient calculation of static and dynamic characteristics of nanoribbon scrolls with allowance for the longitudinal and bending stiffness of nanoribbons is proposed. The model is extended to the case of scrolls of multilayer graphene. Possible equilibrium states of symmetric scrolls of multilayer carbon nanotribbons rolled up so that all nanoribbons in the scroll are equivalent are found. Dependences of the number of coils, the inner and outer radii, lowest vibrational eigenfrequencies of rolled packages on the length L of nanoribbons are obtained. It is shown that the lowest vibrational eigenfrequency of a symmetric scroll decreases with a nanoribbon length proportionally to L -1. It is energetically unfavorable for too short nanoribbons to roll up, and their ground state is a stack of plane nanoribbons. With an increasing number k of layers, the nanoribbon length L necessary for creation of symmetric scrolls increases. For a sufficiently small number of layers k and a sufficiently large nanoribbon length L, the scrolled packing has the lowest energy as compared to that of stack of plane nanoribbons and folded structures. The results can be used for development of nanomaterials and nanodevices on the basis of graphene scrolled packings.

Tuning the electronic and optical properties of hexagonal boron-nitride nanosheet by inserting graphene quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Yi-Min; Shi, Jun-Jie; Zhang, Min; Wu, Meng; Wang, Hui; Cen, Yu-Lang; Pan, Shu-Hang; Guo, Wen-Hui

2018-02-01

It is difficult to integrate two-dimensional (2D) graphene and hexagonal boron-nitride (h-BN) in optoelectronic nanodevices, due to the semi-metal and insulator characteristic of graphene and h-BN, respectively. Using the state-of-the-art first-principles calculations based on many-body perturbation theory, we investigate the electronic and optical properties of h-BN nanosheet embedded with graphene dots. We find that C atom impurities doped in h-BN nanosheet tend to phase-separate into graphene quantum dots (QD), and BNC hybrid structure, i.e. a graphene dot within a h-BN background, can be formed. The band gaps of BNC hybrid structures have an inverse relationship with the size of graphene dot. The calculated optical band gaps for BNC structures vary from 4.71 eV to 3.77 eV, which are much smaller than that of h-BN nanosheet. Furthermore, the valence band maximum is located in C atoms bonded to B atoms and conduction band minimum is located in C atoms bonded to N atoms, which means the electron and hole wave functions are closely distributed around the graphene dot. The bound excitons, localized around the graphene dot, determine the optical spectra of the BNC hybrid structures, in which the exciton binding energies decrease with increase in the size of graphene dots. Our results provide an important theoretical basis for the design and development of BNC-based optoelectronic nanodevices.

Controlled manipulation of flexible carbon nanotubes through shape-dependent pushing by atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Yang, Seung-Cheol; Qian, Xiaoping

2013-09-17

A systematic approach to manipulating flexible carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has been developed on the basis of atomic force microscope (AFM) based pushing. Pushing CNTs enables efficient transport and precise location of individual CNTs. A key issue for pushing CNTs is preventing defective distortion in repetitive bending and unbending deformation. The approach presented here controls lateral movement of an AFM tip to bend CNTs without permanent distortion. The approach investigates possible defects caused by tensile strain of the outer tube under uniform bending and radial distortion by kinking. Using the continuum beam model and experimental bending tests, dependency of maximum bending strain on the length of bent CNTs and radial distortion on bending angles at a bent point have been demonstrated. Individual CNTs are manipulated by limiting the length of bent CNTs and the bending angle. In our approach, multiwalled CNTs with 5-15 nm diameter subjected to bending deformation produce no outer tube breakage under uniform bending and reversible radial deformation with bending angles less than 110°. The lateral tip movement is determined by a simple geometric model that relies on the shape of multiwalled CNTs. The model effectively controls deforming CNT length and bending angle for given CNT shape. Experimental results demonstrate successful manipulation of randomly dispersed CNTs without visual defects. This approach to pushing can be extended to develop a wide range of CNT based nanodevice applications.

Tunable magnetic states on the zigzag edges of hydrogenated and halogenated group-IV nanoribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tzu-Cheng; Hsu, Chia-Hsiu; Huang, Zhi-Quan; Chuang, Feng-Chuan; Su, Wan-Sheng; Guo, Guang-Yu

2016-12-01

The magnetic and electronic properties of hydrogenated and halogenated group-IV zigzag nanoribbons (ZNRs) are investigated by first-principles density functional calculations. Fascinatingly, we find that all the ZNRs have magnetic edges with a rich variety of electronic and magnetic properties tunable by selecting the parent and passivating elements as well as controlling the magnetization direction and external strain. In particular, the electric property of the edge band structure can be tuned from the conducting to insulating with a band gap up to 0.7 eV. The last controllability would allow us to develop magnetic on-off nano-switches. Furthermore, ZNRs such as SiI, Ge, GeI and SnH, have fully spin-polarized metallic edge states and thus are promising materials for spintronics. The calculated magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy can be as large as ~9 meV/edge-site, being 2×103 time greater than that of bulk Ni and Fe (~5 μeV/atom), and thus has great potential for high density magneto-electric data-storage devices. Finally, the calculated exchange coupling strength and thus magnetic transition temperature increases as the applied strain goes from -5% to 5%. Our findings thus show that these ZNRs would have exciting applications in next-generation electronic and spintronic nano-devices.

Selective MBE growth of hexagonal networks of trapezoidal and triangular GaAs nanowires on patterned (1 1 1)B substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamai, Isao; Hasegawa, Hideki

2007-04-01

As a combination of novel hardware architecture and novel system architecture for future ultrahigh-density III-V nanodevice LSIs, the authors' group has recently proposed a hexagonal binary decision diagram (BDD) quantum circuit approach where gate-controlled path switching BDD node devices for a single or few electrons are laid out on a hexagonal nanowire network to realize a logic function. In this paper, attempts are made to establish a method to grow highly dense hexagonal nanowire networks for future BDD circuits by selective molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on (1 1 1)B substrates. The (1 1 1)B orientation is suitable for BDD architecture because of the basic three-fold symmetry of the BDD node device. The growth experiments showed complex evolution of the cross-sectional structures, and it was explained in terms of kinetics determining facet boundaries. Straight arrays of triangular nanowires with 60 nm base width as well as hexagonal arrays of trapezoidal nanowires with a node density of 7.5×10 6 cm -2 were successfully grown with the aid of computer simulation. The result shows feasibility of growing high-density hexagonal networks of GaAs nanowires with precise control of the shape and size.

Nanogenerators and Piezotronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhong Lin

2011-03-01

Developing wireless nanodevices and nanosystems is of critical importance for sensing, medical science, environmental/infrastructure monitoring, defense technology and even personal electronics. It is highly desirable for wireless devices to be self-powered without using battery. This is a new initiative in today's energy research for mico/nano-systems in searching for sustainable self-sufficient power sources. We have invented an innovative approach for converting nano-scale mechanical energy into electric energy by piezoelectric zinc oxide nanowire arrays. As today, a gentle straining can output 1-3 V from an integrated nanogenerator, using which a self-powered nanosensor has been demonstrated. A commercial LED has been lid up [3-5]. Due to the polarization of ions in a crystal that has non-central symmetry, a piezoelectric potential (piezopotential) is created in the crystal by applying a stress. The effect of piezopotential to the transport behavior of charge carriers is significant due to their multiple functionalities of piezoelectricity, semiconductor and photon excitation. Electronics fabricated by using inner-crystal piezopotential as a ``gate'' voltage to tune/control the charge transport behavior is named piezotronics [6,7].Piezo-phototronic effect is a result of three-way coupling among piezoelectricity, photonic excitation and semiconductor transport, which allows tuning and controlling of electro-optical processes by strain induced piezopotential.

Load capacity improvements in nucleic acid based systems using partially open feedback control.

PubMed

Kulkarni, Vishwesh; Kharisov, Evgeny; Hovakimyan, Naira; Kim, Jongmin

2014-08-15

Synthetic biology is facilitating novel methods and components to build in vivo and in vitro circuits to better understand and re-engineer biological networks. Recently, Kim and Winfree have synthesized a remarkably elegant network of transcriptional oscillators in vitro using a modular architecture of synthetic gene analogues and a few enzymes that, in turn, could be used to drive a variety of downstream circuits and nanodevices. However, these oscillators are sensitive to initial conditions and downstream load processes. Furthermore, the oscillations are not sustained since the inherently closed design suffers from enzyme deactivation, NTP fuel exhaustion, and waste product build up. In this paper, we show that a partially open architecture in which an [Symbol: see text]1 adaptive controller, implemented inside an in silico computer that resides outside the wet-lab apparatus, can ensure sustained tunable oscillations in two specific designs of the Kim-Winfree oscillator networks. We consider two broad cases of operation: (1) the oscillator network operating in isolation and (2) the oscillator network driving a DNA tweezer subject to a variable load. In both scenarios, our simulation results show a significant improvement in the tunability and robustness of these oscillator networks. Our approach can be easily adopted to improve the loading capacity of a wide range of synthetic biological devices.

Manipulating and Monitoring On-Surface Biological Reactions by Light-Triggered Local pH Alterations.

PubMed

Peretz-Soroka, Hagit; Pevzner, Alexander; Davidi, Guy; Naddaka, Vladimir; Kwiat, Moria; Huppert, Dan; Patolsky, Fernando

2015-07-08

Significant research efforts have been dedicated to the integration of biological species with electronic elements to yield smart bioelectronic devices. The integration of DNA, proteins, and whole living cells and tissues with electronic devices has been developed into numerous intriguing applications. In particular, the quantitative detection of biological species and monitoring of biological processes are both critical to numerous areas of medical and life sciences. Nevertheless, most current approaches merely focus on the "monitoring" of chemical processes taking place on the sensing surfaces, and little efforts have been invested in the conception of sensitive devices that can simultaneously "control" and "monitor" chemical and biological reactions by the application of on-surface reversible stimuli. Here, we demonstrate the light-controlled fine modulation of surface pH by the use of photoactive molecularly modified nanomaterials. Through the use of nanowire-based FET devices, we showed the capability of modulating the on-surface pH, by intensity-controlled light stimulus. This allowed us simultaneously and locally to control and monitor pH-sensitive biological reactions on the nanodevices surfaces, such as the local activation and inhibition of proteolytic enzymatic processes, as well as dissociation of antigen-antibody binding interactions. The demonstrated capability of locally modulating the on-surface effective pH, by a light stimuli, may be further applied in the local control of on-surface DNA hybridization/dehybridization processes, activation or inhibition of living cells processes, local switching of cellular function, local photoactivation of neuronal networks with single cell resolution and so forth.

The eminent need for an academic program in universities to teach nanomedicine.

PubMed

Vélez, Juan Manuel; Vélez, Juan Jesus

2011-01-01

Nanomedicine is on the cutting edge of technology applied to medical and biological sciences. Nanodevices, nanomaterials, nanoinstruments, nanotechnologies, and nanotechniques (laboratory methods and procedures) are important for the modern practice of medicine and essential for research that could stimulate the discovery of new medical advances. Accordingly, there is an eminent need for implementing an academic program in universities to teach this indispensable and pragmatic discipline, especially in the departments of graduate studies and research in the areas of pharmacology, genetic engineering, proteomics, and molecular and cellular biology.

Dielectric Modulation of Ion Transport near Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antila, Hanne S.; Luijten, Erik

2018-03-01

Ion mobility and ionic conductance in nanodevices are known to deviate from bulk behavior, a phenomenon often attributed to surface effects. We demonstrate that dielectric mismatch between the electrolyte and the surface can qualitatively alter ionic transport in a counterintuitive manner. Instead of following the polarization-induced modulation of the concentration profile, mobility is enhanced or reduced by changes in the ionic atmosphere near the interface and affected by a polarization force parallel to the surface. In addition to revealing this mechanism, we explore the effect of salt concentration and electrostatic coupling.

A facile route to ultra-long polyaniline nanowires and the fabrication of photoswitch.

PubMed

Wang, Xiuhua; Shao, Mingwang; Shao, Guang; Wu, Zhengcui; Wang, Shaowu

2009-04-01

Ultra-long polyaniline nanowires with an average diameter of 60 nm and length up to tens of micrometers were successfully synthesized via chemical oxidation polymerization in an aqueous solution. These nanowires exhibited reversible electrochemical behavior judged from cyclic voltammetry curves. The excellent photosensitivity and photoresponse of a bundle of nanowires were also investigated, which showed that the photocurrent enhanced by ca. 4 times under irradiation of an incandescence lamp (12 V, 10 W). This work might be useful in the fabrication of photosensor and photoswitch nanodevices in the future.

Interactive models of communication at the nanoscale using nanoparticles that talk to one another

PubMed Central

Llopis-Lorente, Antoni; Díez, Paula; Sánchez, Alfredo; Marcos, María D.; Sancenón, Félix; Martínez-Ruiz, Paloma; Villalonga, Reynaldo; Martínez-Máñez, Ramón

2017-01-01

‘Communication' between abiotic nanoscale chemical systems is an almost-unexplored field with enormous potential. Here we show the design and preparation of a chemical communication system based on enzyme-powered Janus nanoparticles, which mimics an interactive model of communication. Cargo delivery from one nanoparticle is governed by the biunivocal communication with another nanoparticle, which involves two enzymatic processes and the interchange of chemical messengers. The conceptual idea of establishing communication between nanodevices opens the opportunity to develop complex nanoscale systems capable of sharing information and cooperating. PMID:28556828

Negative Difference Resistance and Its Application to Construct Boolean Logic Circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikodem, Maciej; Bawiec, Marek A.; Surmacz, Tomasz R.

Electronic circuits based on nanodevices and quantum effect are the future of logic circuits design. Today's technology allows constructing resonant tunneling diodes, quantum cellular automata and nanowires/nanoribbons that are the elementary components of threshold gates. However, synthesizing a threshold circuit for an arbitrary logic function is still a challenging task where no efficient algorithms exist. This paper focuses on Generalised Threshold Gates (GTG), giving the overview of threshold circuit synthesis methods and presenting an algorithm that considerably simplifies the task in case of GTG circuits.

Nanoscale phase engineering of thermal transport with a Josephson heat modulator.

PubMed

Fornieri, Antonio; Blanc, Christophe; Bosisio, Riccardo; D'Ambrosio, Sophie; Giazotto, Francesco

2016-03-01

Macroscopic quantum phase coherence has one of its pivotal expressions in the Josephson effect, which manifests itself both in charge and energy transport. The ability to master the amount of heat transferred through two tunnel-coupled superconductors by tuning their phase difference is the core of coherent caloritronics, and is expected to be a key tool in a number of nanoscience fields, including solid-state cooling, thermal isolation, radiation detection, quantum information and thermal logic. Here, we show the realization of the first balanced Josephson heat modulator designed to offer full control at the nanoscale over the phase-coherent component of thermal currents. Our device provides magnetic-flux-dependent temperature modulations up to 40 mK in amplitude with a maximum of the flux-to-temperature transfer coefficient reaching 200 mK per flux quantum at a bath temperature of 25 mK. Foremost, it demonstrates the exact correspondence in the phase engineering of charge and heat currents, breaking ground for advanced caloritronic nanodevices such as thermal splitters, heat pumps and time-dependent electronic engines.

Provision Of Carbon Nanotube Bucky Paper Cages For Immune Shielding Of Cells, Tissues, and Medical Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loftus, David J. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

System and method for enclosing cells and/or tissue, for purposes of growth, cell differentiation, suppression of cell differentiation, biological processing and/or transplantation of cells and tissues (biological inserts), and for secretion, sensing and monitoring of selected chemical substances and activation of gene expression of biological inserts implanted into a human body. Selected cells and/or tissue are enveloped in a "cage" that is primarily carbon nanotube Bucky paper, with a selected thickness and porosity. Optionally, selected functional groups, proteins and/or peptides are attached to the carbon nanotube cage, or included within the cage, to enhance the growth and/or differentiation of the cells and/or tissue, to select for certain cellular sub-populations, to optimize certain functions of the cells and/or tissue and/or to optimize the passage of chemicals across the cage surface(s). A cage system is also used as an immuns shield and to control operation of a nano-device or macroscopic device, located within the cage, to provide or transform a selected chemical and/or a selected signal.

An Open Pit Nanofluidic Tool: Localized Chemistry Assisted by Mesoporous Thin Film Infiltration.

PubMed

Mercuri, Magalí; Pierpauli, Karina A; Berli, Claudio L A; Bellino, Martín G

2017-05-17

Nanofluidics based on nanoscopic porous structures has emerged as the next evolutionary milestone in the construction of versatile nanodevices with unprecedented applications. However, the straightforward development of nanofluidically interconnected systems is crucial for the production of practical devices. Here, we demonstrate that spontaneous infiltration into supramolecularly templated mesoporous oxide films at the edge of a sessile drop in open air can be used to connect pairs of landmarks. The liquids from the drops can then join through the nanoporous network to guide a localized chemical reaction at the nanofluid-front interface. This method, here named "open-pit" nanofluidics, allows mixing reagents from nanofluidically connected droplet reservoirs that can be used as reactors to conduct reactions and precipitation processes. From the fundamental point of view, the work contributes to unveiling subtle phenomena during spontaneous infiltration of fluids in bodies with nanoscale dimensions such as the front broadening effect and the oscillatory behavior of the infiltration-evaporation front. The approach has distinctive advantages such as easy fabrication, low cost, and facility of scaling up for future development of ultrasensitive detection, controlled nanomaterial synthesis, and novel patterning methods.

Monolithic carbon structures including suspended single nanowires and nanomeshes as a sensor platform

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

With the development of nanomaterial-based nanodevices, it became inevitable to develop cost-effective and simple nanofabrication technologies enabling the formation of nanomaterial assembly in a controllable manner. Herein, we present suspended monolithic carbon single nanowires and nanomeshes bridging two bulk carbon posts, fabricated in a designed manner using two successive UV exposure steps and a single pyrolysis step. The pyrolysis step is accompanied with a significant volume reduction, resulting in the shrinkage of micro-sized photoresist structures into nanoscale carbon structures. Even with the significant elongation of the suspended carbon nanowire induced by the volume reduction of the bulk carbon posts, the resultant tensional stress along the nanowire is not significant but grows along the wire thickness; this tensional stress gradient and the bent supports of the bridge-like carbon nanowire enhance structural robustness and alleviate the stiction problem that suspended nanostructures frequently experience. The feasibility of the suspended carbon nanostructures as a sensor platform was demonstrated by testing its electrochemical behavior, conductivity-temperature relationship, and hydrogen gas sensing capability. PMID:24256942

Atomistic study of a nanometer-scale pump based on the thermal ratchet concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oyarzua, Elton; Walther, J. H.; Zambrano, Harvey

2015-11-01

In this study, a novel concept of nanoscale pump fabricated using Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) is presented. The development of nanofluidic systems provides unprecedented possibilities for the control of biology and chemistry at the molecular level with potential applications in low energy cost devices, novel medical tools, and a new generation of sensors. CNTs offer a number of attractive features for the fabrication of fluidic nanodevices including fast flow, useful electronic and thermal properties, high mechanical strength and biocompatibility. Therefore, the transport of liquids in CNTs is now of great interest in nanofluidics. Thermophoresis is the phenomenon observed when a mixture of two or more types of motile objects experience a force induced by a thermal gradient and the different types of objects respond to it differently, inducing a motion and segregation of the objects. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we explore the possibility to design thermophoretic pumping devices fabricated of CNTs for water transport in nanoconduits. The design of the nanopumps is based on the concept of the Feynman-Smoluchowski ratchet. We aknowledge partial support from Fondecyt project 11130559 and Redoc udec.

Evaluation of thermo-triggered drug release in intramuscular-transplanted tumors using thermosensitive polymer-modified liposomes and MRI.

PubMed

Kokuryo, Daisuke; Nakashima, Seiji; Ozaki, Fuminori; Yuba, Eiji; Chuang, Kai-Hsiang; Aoshima, Sadahito; Ishizaka, Yukihito; Saga, Tsuneo; Kono, Kenji; Aoki, Ichio

2015-01-01

Multi-modal thermo-sensitive polymer-modified liposomes (MTPLs) containing an anticancer drug, MR contrast agent, and fluorescent dye have been investigated as "theranostic" nanodevices that can be used to monitor drug delivery in cancer therapy. Here, we measured the physical characteristics of MTPLs, observed the dynamics of MTPLs in vivo, visualized heat-triggered drug release using MRI, and evaluated the treatment effects of the MTPLs with and without heating. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the MTPLs released drugs at temperatures above 41°C. In vivo MTPLs accumulated in tumor tissue, with the accumulation maximized for 4-12hours. MR signal in the tumor was significantly elevated after mild heating for 15 minutes, indicating release of the contrast agent from the MTPLs was facilitated by heat-triggering. Tumor size after treatment with MTPLs and heating was significantly smaller than those of the control groups. In conclusion, MTPLs with MRI are useful for low-invasive cancer theranostics. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dynamical photo-induced electronic properties of molecular junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beltako, K.; Michelini, F.; Cavassilas, N.; Raymond, L.

2018-03-01

Nanoscale molecular-electronic devices and machines are emerging as promising functional elements, naturally flexible and efficient, for next-generation technologies. A deeper understanding of carrier dynamics in molecular junctions is expected to benefit many fields of nanoelectronics and power devices. We determine time-resolved charge current flowing at the donor-acceptor interface in molecular junctions connected to metallic electrodes by means of quantum transport simulations. The current is induced by the interaction of the donor with a Gaussian-shape femtosecond laser pulse. Effects of the molecular internal coupling, metal-molecule tunneling, and light-donor coupling on photocurrent are discussed. We then define the time-resolved local density of states which is proposed as an efficient tool to describe the absorbing molecule in contact with metallic electrodes. Non-equilibrium reorganization of hybridized molecular orbitals through the light-donor interaction gives rise to two phenomena: the dynamical Rabi shift and the appearance of Floquet-like states. Such insights into the dynamical photoelectronic structure of molecules are of strong interest for ultrafast spectroscopy and open avenues toward the possibility of analyzing and controlling the internal properties of quantum nanodevices with pump-push photocurrent spectroscopy.

Encapsulins: microbial nanocompartments with applications in biomedicine, nanobiotechnology and materials science.

PubMed

Giessen, Tobias W

2016-10-01

Compartmentalization is one of the defining features of life. Cells use protein compartments to exert spatial control over their metabolism, store nutrients and create unique microenvironments needed for essential physiological processes. Encapsulins are a recently discovered class of protein nanocompartments found in bacteria and archaea that naturally encapsulate cargo proteins. A short C-terminal targeting sequence directs the highly specific encapsulation process in vivo. Here, I will initially discuss the properties, diversity and putative function of encapsulins. The unique characteristics and potential uses of the self-sorting cargo-packaging process found in encapsulin systems will then be highlighted. Examples for the application of encapsulins as cell-specific optical nanoprobes and targeted therapeutic delivery systems will be discussed with an emphasis on the ability to integrate multiple functionalities within a single nanodevice. By fusing targeting sequences to non-native proteins, encapsulins can also be used as specific nanocontainers and enzymatic nanoreactors in vivo. I will end by briefly discussing future avenues for encapsulin research related to both basic microbial metabolism and applications in biomedicine, catalysis and materials science. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of Cu doping on the mechanical and optical properties of zinc oxide nanowires synthesized by hydrothermal route.

PubMed

Robak, Elżbieta; Coy, Emerson; Kotkowiak, Michał; Jurga, Stefan; Załęski, Karol; Drozdowski, Henryk

2016-04-29

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a wide-bandgap semiconductor material with applications in a variety of fields such as electronics, optoelectronic and solar cells. However, much of these applications demand a reproducible, reliable and controllable synthesis method that takes special care of their functional properties. In this work ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO nanowires are obtained by an optimized hydrothermal method, following the promising results which ZnO nanostructures have shown in the past few years. The morphology of as-prepared and copper-doped ZnO nanostructures is investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. X-ray diffraction is used to study the impact of doping on the crystalline structure of the wires. Furthermore, the mechanical properties (nanoindentation) and the functional properties (absorption and photoluminescence measurements) of ZnO nanostructures are examined in order to assess their applicability in photovoltaics, piezoelectric and hybrids nanodevices. This work shows a strong correlation between growing conditions, morphology, doping and mechanical as well as optical properties of ZnO nanowires.

Nanoscale phase engineering of thermal transport with a Josephson heat modulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornieri, Antonio; Blanc, Christophe; Bosisio, Riccardo; D'Ambrosio, Sophie; Giazotto, Francesco

2016-03-01

Macroscopic quantum phase coherence has one of its pivotal expressions in the Josephson effect, which manifests itself both in charge and energy transport. The ability to master the amount of heat transferred through two tunnel-coupled superconductors by tuning their phase difference is the core of coherent caloritronics, and is expected to be a key tool in a number of nanoscience fields, including solid-state cooling, thermal isolation, radiation detection, quantum information and thermal logic. Here, we show the realization of the first balanced Josephson heat modulator designed to offer full control at the nanoscale over the phase-coherent component of thermal currents. Our device provides magnetic-flux-dependent temperature modulations up to 40 mK in amplitude with a maximum of the flux-to-temperature transfer coefficient reaching 200 mK per flux quantum at a bath temperature of 25 mK. Foremost, it demonstrates the exact correspondence in the phase engineering of charge and heat currents, breaking ground for advanced caloritronic nanodevices such as thermal splitters, heat pumps and time-dependent electronic engines.

Nanorobot Hardware Architecture for Medical Defense.

PubMed

Cavalcanti, Adriano; Shirinzadeh, Bijan; Zhang, Mingjun; Kretly, Luiz C

2008-05-06

This work presents a new approach with details on the integrated platform and hardware architecture for nanorobots application in epidemic control, which should enable real time in vivo prognosis of biohazard infection. The recent developments in the field of nanoelectronics, with transducers progressively shrinking down to smaller sizes through nanotechnology and carbon nanotubes, are expected to result in innovative biomedical instrumentation possibilities, with new therapies and efficient diagnosis methodologies. The use of integrated systems, smart biosensors, and programmable nanodevices are advancing nanoelectronics, enabling the progressive research and development of molecular machines. It should provide high precision pervasive biomedical monitoring with real time data transmission. The use of nanobioelectronics as embedded systems is the natural pathway towards manufacturing methodology to achieve nanorobot applications out of laboratories sooner as possible. To demonstrate the practical application of medical nanorobotics, a 3D simulation based on clinical data addresses how to integrate communication with nanorobots using RFID, mobile phones, and satellites, applied to long distance ubiquitous surveillance and health monitoring for troops in conflict zones. Therefore, the current model can also be used to prevent and save a population against the case of some targeted epidemic disease.

First principles study of edge carboxylated graphene quantum dots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdelsalam, Hazem; Elhaes, Hanan; Ibrahim, Medhat A.

2018-05-01

The structure stability and electronic properties of edge carboxylated hexagonal and triangular graphene quantum dots are investigated using density functional theory. The calculated binding energies show that the hexagonal clusters with armchair edges have the highest stability among all the quantum dots. The binding energy of carboxylated graphene quantum dots increases by increasing the number of carboxyl groups. Our study shows that the total dipole moment significantly increases by adding COOH with the highest value observed in triangular clusters. The edge states in triangular graphene quantum dots with zigzag edges produce completely different energy spectrum from other dots: (a) the energy gap in triangular zigzag is very small as compared to other clusters and (b) the highest occupied molecular orbital is localized at the edges which is in contrast to other clusters where it is distributed over the cluster surface. The enhanced reactivity and the controllable energy gap by shape and edge termination make graphene quantum dots ideal for various nanodevice applications such as sensors. The infrared spectra are presented to confirm the stability of the quantum dots.

Polarization State of Light Scattered from Quantum Plasmonic Dimer Antennas.

PubMed

Yang, Longkun; Wang, Hancong; Fang, Yan; Li, Zhipeng

2016-01-26

Plasmonic antennas are able to concentrate and re-emit light in a controllable manner through strong coupling between metallic nanostructures. Only recently has it found that quantum mechanical effects can drastically change the coupling strength as the feature size approaches atomic scales. Here, we present a comprehensive experimental and theoretical study of the evolution of the resonance peak and its polarization state as the dimer-antenna gap narrows to subnanometer scale. We clearly can identify the classical plasmonic regime, a crossover regime where nonlocal screening plays an important role, and the quantum regime where a charge transfer plasmon appears due to interparticle electron tunneling. Moreover, as the gap decreases from tens of to a few nanometers, the bonding dipole mode tends to emit photons with increasing polarizability. When the gap narrows to quantum regime, a significant depolarization of the mode emission is observed due to the reduction of the charge density of coupled quantum plasmons. These results would be beneficial for the understanding of quantum effects on emitting-polarization of nanoantennas and the development of quantum-based photonic nanodevices.

Using nanoinformatics methods for automatically identifying relevant nanotoxicology entities from the literature.

PubMed

García-Remesal, Miguel; García-Ruiz, Alejandro; Pérez-Rey, David; de la Iglesia, Diana; Maojo, Víctor

2013-01-01

Nanoinformatics is an emerging research field that uses informatics techniques to collect, process, store, and retrieve data, information, and knowledge on nanoparticles, nanomaterials, and nanodevices and their potential applications in health care. In this paper, we have focused on the solutions that nanoinformatics can provide to facilitate nanotoxicology research. For this, we have taken a computational approach to automatically recognize and extract nanotoxicology-related entities from the scientific literature. The desired entities belong to four different categories: nanoparticles, routes of exposure, toxic effects, and targets. The entity recognizer was trained using a corpus that we specifically created for this purpose and was validated by two nanomedicine/nanotoxicology experts. We evaluated the performance of our entity recognizer using 10-fold cross-validation. The precisions range from 87.6% (targets) to 93.0% (routes of exposure), while recall values range from 82.6% (routes of exposure) to 87.4% (toxic effects). These results prove the feasibility of using computational approaches to reliably perform different named entity recognition (NER)-dependent tasks, such as for instance augmented reading or semantic searches. This research is a "proof of concept" that can be expanded to stimulate further developments that could assist researchers in managing data, information, and knowledge at the nanolevel, thus accelerating research in nanomedicine.

Optimizing the thermoelectric performance of graphene nano-ribbons without degrading the electronic properties.

PubMed

Tran, Van-Truong; Saint-Martin, Jérôme; Dollfus, Philippe; Volz, Sebastian

2017-05-24

The enhancement of thermoelectric figure of merit ZT requires to either increase the power factor or reduce the phonon conductance, or even both. In graphene, the high phonon thermal conductivity is the main factor limiting the thermoelectric conversion. The common strategy to enhance ZT is therefore to introduce phonon scatterers to suppress the phonon conductance while retaining high electrical conductance and Seebeck coefficient. Although thermoelectric performance is eventually enhanced, all studies based on this strategy show a significant reduction of the electrical conductance. In this study we demonstrate that appropriate sources of disorder, including isotopes and vacancies at lowest electron density positions, can be used as phonon scatterers to reduce the phonon conductance in graphene ribbons without degrading the electrical conductance, particularly in the low-energy region which is the most important range for device operation. By means of atomistic calculations we show that the natural electronic properties of graphene ribbons can be fully preserved while their thermoelectric efficiency is strongly enhanced. For ribbons of width M = 5 dimer lines, room-temperature ZT is enhanced from less than 0.26 to more than 2.5. This study is likely to set the milestones of a new generation of nano-devices with dual electronic/thermoelectric functionalities.

Enhanced Structural and Luminescent Properties of Carbon-Assisted ZnO Nanorod Arrays on (100) Si Substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Im Taek; Cho, Hak Dong; Lee, Sejoon; Roshchupkin, Dmitry V.

2018-02-01

We have fabricated as-grown ZnO nanorods (NRs) and carbon-assisted NR arrays on semi-insulating (100)-oriented Si substrates. We compared the structural and luminescent properties of them. High-resolution transmission microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive x-ray revealed that the as-grown ZnO NRs and carbon-assisted ZnO NRs were single crystals with a hexagonal wurtzite structure, and grew with a c-axis orientation perpendicular to the Si substrate. These measurements show that the carbon-assisted ZnO NRs were better synthesized vertically on an Si substrate compared to the as-grown ZnO NRs. Photoluminescence measurements showed that luminescence intensity of the carbon-assisted ZnO NRs was enhanced compared to the as-grown ZnO NRs. The enhanced luminescence intensity of the carbon-assisted ZnO demonstrates the possible improvement in the performance of photovoltaic nanodevices based on ZnO-like materials. This method can be applied to the fabrication of well-aligned ZnO NRs used widely in optoelectronic devices.

Length and temperature dependence of the mechanical properties of finite-size carbyne

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xueming; Huang, Yanhui; Cao, Bingyang; To, Albert C.

2017-09-01

Carbyne is an ideal one-dimensional conductor and the thinnest interconnection in an ultimate nano-device and it requires an understanding of the mechanical properties that affect device performance and reliability. Here, we report the mechanical properties of finite-size carbyne, obtained by a molecular dynamics simulation study based on the adaptive intermolecular reactive empirical bond order potential. To avoid confusion in assigning the effective cross-sectional area of carbyne, the value of the effective cross-sectional area of carbyne (4.148 Å2) was deduced via experiment and adopted in our study. Ends-constraints effects on the ultimate stress (maximum force) of the carbyne chains are investigated, revealing that the molecular dynamics simulation results agree very well with the experimental results. The ultimate strength, Young's Modulus and maximum strain of carbyne are rather sensitive to the temperature and all decrease with the temperature. Opposite tendencies of the length dependence of the overall ultimate strength and maximum strain of carbyne at room temperature and very low temperature have been found, and analyses show that this originates in the ends effect of carbyne.

Büttiker probes for dissipative phonon quantum transport in semiconductor nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, K.; Sadasivam, S.; Charles, J.; Klimeck, G.; Fisher, T. S.; Kubis, T.

2016-03-01

Theoretical prediction of phonon transport in modern semiconductor nanodevices requires atomic resolution of device features and quantum transport models covering coherent and incoherent effects. The nonequilibrium Green's function method is known to serve this purpose well but is numerically expensive in simulating incoherent scattering processes. This work extends the efficient Büttiker probe approach widely used in electron transport to phonons and considers salient implications of the method. Different scattering mechanisms such as impurity, boundary, and Umklapp scattering are included, and the method is shown to reproduce the experimental thermal conductivity of bulk Si and Ge over a wide temperature range. Temperature jumps at the lead/device interface are captured in the quasi-ballistic transport regime consistent with results from the Boltzmann transport equation. Results of this method in Si/Ge heterojunctions illustrate the impact of atomic relaxation on the thermal interface conductance and the importance of inelastic scattering to activate high-energy channels for phonon transport. The resultant phonon transport model is capable of predicting the thermal performance in the heterostructure efficiently.

Constructing Smart Protocells with Built-In DNA Computational Core to Eliminate Exogenous Challenge.

PubMed

Lyu, Yifan; Wu, Cuichen; Heinke, Charles; Han, Da; Cai, Ren; Teng, I-Ting; Liu, Yuan; Liu, Hui; Zhang, Xiaobing; Liu, Qiaoling; Tan, Weihong

2018-06-06

A DNA reaction network is like a biological algorithm that can respond to "molecular input signals", such as biological molecules, while the artificial cell is like a microrobot whose function is powered by the encapsulated DNA reaction network. In this work, we describe the feasibility of using a DNA reaction network as the computational core of a protocell, which will perform an artificial immune response in a concise way to eliminate a mimicked pathogenic challenge. Such a DNA reaction network (RN)-powered protocell can realize the connection of logical computation and biological recognition due to the natural programmability and biological properties of DNA. Thus, the biological input molecules can be easily involved in the molecular computation and the computation process can be spatially isolated and protected by artificial bilayer membrane. We believe the strategy proposed in the current paper, i.e., using DNA RN to power artificial cells, will lay the groundwork for understanding the basic design principles of DNA algorithm-based nanodevices which will, in turn, inspire the construction of artificial cells, or protocells, that will find a place in future biomedical research.

Thermal boundary resistances of carbon nanotubes in contact with metals and polymers.

PubMed

Li, Qingwei; Liu, Changhong; Fan, Shoushan

2009-11-01

In recent years carbon-nanotube-based thermal interface materials have shown great potential for solving the thermal management problem of integrated circuits and nanodevices. For a long time, the exceptionally high thermal boundary resistances (TBRs) between carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and their surroundings have been suspected as a major factor to restraining their performance. But so far, there are few or no reported work to determine or compare the TBRs between CNTs and various materials. In this paper, we carefully design and carry out the TBR measurements of CNTs in contact with metal and polymer materials, and we present a conclusion that the CNT/polymer generally gives a lower TBR compared to the CNT/metal, which seems a little counterintuitive. We further suggest that the larger CNT-metal TBRs arise from the smaller phonon-mode overlapping between the CNT and the metals at low frequencies, and the low phonon transmission coefficient at the metal-CNT interface in the intermediate and high frequency range. This work may inspire deeper understanding of the TBR and shed light on related theoretical and applied research.

Strength and stability analysis of a single-walled black phosphorus tube under axial compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Kun; Wan, Jing; Wei, Ning; Qin, Qing H.

2016-07-01

Few-layered black phosphorus materials currently attract much attention due to their special electronic properties. As a consequence, a single-layer black phosphorus (SLBP) nanotube has been theoretically built. The corresponding electronic properties of such a black phosphorus nanotube (BPNT) were also evaluated numerically. However, unlike graphene formed with 2sp2 covalent carbon atoms, SLBP is formed with 3sp3 bonded atoms. It means that the structure from SLBP will possess lower Young’s modulus and mechanical strength than those of carbon nanotubes. In this study, molecular dynamics simulation is performed to investigate the strength and stability of BPNTs affected by the factors of diameter, length, loading speed and temperature. Results are fundamental for investigating the other physical properties of a BPNT acting as a component in a nanodevice. For example, buckling of the BPNT happens earlier than fracture, before which the nanostructure has very small axial strain. For the same BPNT, a higher load speed results in lower critical axial strain and a nanotube with lower axial strain can still be stable at a higher temperature.

Planar Tunneling Spectroscopy of Graphene Nanodevices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Joel I.-Jan; Bretheau, Landry; Pisoni, Riccardo; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo

2-D Van-der-Waals mesoscopic physics have seen a rapid development in the last 10 years, with new materials each year added to the toolbox. Stacking them like Lego enables the combination of their individual electronic properties. In particular, hexagonal boron nitride, which is an insulator, gives the possibility to perform planar (2-D to 2-D) tunneling spectroscopy within this type of heterostructures. Unlike standard transport measurements, tunneling spectroscopy enables to probe the electronic properties in the energy domain. Moreover, since planar tunneling probes a large area of the system, global quantum features such as quantum Hall effect, superconducting proximity effect or quantum confinement can be investigated. In this talk, we will present implementation of heterostructures consisting of graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, and graphite, fabricated for planar tunneling spectroscopy. In order to reveal the intrinsic properties of materials, the fabrication scheme aims at preserving the pristine nature of the 2-DEGS as well as minimizing the doping introduced by external probes. As a demonstration, measurements of these devices in normal states, high magnetic field environment, and induced superconducting state will be presented.

Nanorobotic end-effectors: Design, fabrication, and in situ characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Zheng

Nano-robotic end-effectors have promising applications for nano-fabrication, nano-manufacturing, nano-optics, nano-medical, and nano-sensing; however, low performances of the conventional end-effectors have prevented the widespread utilization of them in various fields. There are two major difficulties in developing the end-effectors: their nano-fabrication and their advanced characterization in the nanoscale. Here we introduce six types of end-effectors: the nanotube fountain pen (NFP), the super-fine nanoprobe, the metal-filled carbon nanotube (m CNT)-based sphere-on-pillar (SOP) nanoantennas, the tunneling nanosensor, and the nanowire-based memristor. The investigations on the NFP are focused on nano-fluidics and nano-fabrications. The NFP could direct write metallic "inks" and fabricating complex metal nanostructures from 0D to 3D with a position servo control, which is critically important to future large-scale, high-throughput nanodevice production. With the help of NFP, we could fabricate the end-effectors such as super-fine nanoprobe and m CNT-based SOP nanoantennas. Those end-effectors are able to detect local flaws or characterize the electrical/mechanical properties of the nanostructure. Moreover, using electron-energy-loss-spectroscopy (EELS) technique during the operation of the SOP optical antenna opens a new basis for the application of nano-robotic end-effectors. The technique allows advanced characterization of the physical changes, such as carrier diffusion, that are directly responsible for the device's properties. As the device was coupled with characterization techniques of scanning-trasmission-electron-microscopy (STEM), the development of tunneling nanosensor advances this field of science into quantum world. Furthermore, the combined STEM-EELS technique plays an important role in our understanding of the memristive switching performance in the nanowire-based memristor. The developments of those nano-robotic end-effectors expend the study abilities in investigating the in situ nanotechnology, providing efficient ways in in situ nanostructure fabrication and the advanced characterization of the nanomaterials.

Controlling high-throughput manufacturing at the nano-scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Khershed P.

2013-09-01

Interest in nano-scale manufacturing research and development is growing. The reason is to accelerate the translation of discoveries and inventions of nanoscience and nanotechnology into products that would benefit industry, economy and society. Ongoing research in nanomanufacturing is focused primarily on developing novel nanofabrication techniques for a variety of applications—materials, energy, electronics, photonics, biomedical, etc. Our goal is to foster the development of high-throughput methods of fabricating nano-enabled products. Large-area parallel processing and highspeed continuous processing are high-throughput means for mass production. An example of large-area processing is step-and-repeat nanoimprinting, by which nanostructures are reproduced again and again over a large area, such as a 12 in wafer. Roll-to-roll processing is an example of continuous processing, by which it is possible to print and imprint multi-level nanostructures and nanodevices on a moving flexible substrate. The big pay-off is high-volume production and low unit cost. However, the anticipated cost benefits can only be realized if the increased production rate is accompanied by high yields of high quality products. To ensure product quality, we need to design and construct manufacturing systems such that the processes can be closely monitored and controlled. One approach is to bring cyber-physical systems (CPS) concepts to nanomanufacturing. CPS involves the control of a physical system such as manufacturing through modeling, computation, communication and control. Such a closely coupled system will involve in-situ metrology and closed-loop control of the physical processes guided by physics-based models and driven by appropriate instrumentation, sensing and actuation. This paper will discuss these ideas in the context of controlling high-throughput manufacturing at the nano-scale.

Cascade DNA nanomachine and exponential amplification biosensing.

PubMed

Xu, Jianguo; Wu, Zai-Sheng; Shen, Weiyu; Xu, Huo; Li, Hongling; Jia, Lee

2015-11-15

DNA is a versatile scaffold for the assembly of multifunctional nanostructures, and potential applications of various DNA nanodevices have been recently demonstrated for disease diagnosis and treatment. In the current study, a powerful cascade DNA nanomachine was developed that can execute the exponential amplification of p53 tumor suppressor gene. During the operation of the newly-proposed DNA nanomachine, dual-cyclical nucleic acid strand-displacement polymerization (dual-CNDP) was ingeniously introduced, where the target trigger is repeatedly used as the fuel molecule and the nicked fragments are dramatically accumulated. Moreover, each displaced nicked fragment is able to activate the another type of cyclical strand-displacement amplification, increasing exponentially the value of fluorescence intensity. Essentially, one target binding event can induce considerable number of subsequent reactions, and the nanodevice was called cascade DNA nanomachine. It can implement several functions, including recognition element, signaling probe, polymerization primer and template. Using the developed autonomous operation of DNA nanomachine, the p53 gene can be quantified in the wide concentration range from 0.05 to 150 nM with the detection limit of 50 pM. If taking into account the final volume of mixture, the detection limit is calculated as lower as 6.2 pM, achieving an desirable assay ability. More strikingly, the mutant gene can be easily distinguished from the wild-type one. The proof-of-concept demonstrations reported herein is expected to promote the development and application of DNA nanomachine, showing great potential value in basic biology and medical diagnosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intelligent layered nanoflare: ``lab-on-a-nanoparticle'' for multiple DNA logic gate operations and efficient intracellular delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Bin; Zhang, Xiao-Bing; Kang, Li-Ping; Huang, Zhi-Mei; Shen, Guo-Li; Yu, Ru-Qin; Tan, Weihong

2014-07-01

DNA strand displacement cascades have been engineered to construct various fascinating DNA circuits. However, biological applications are limited by the insufficient cellular internalization of naked DNA structures, as well as the separated multicomponent feature. In this work, these problems are addressed by the development of a novel DNA nanodevice, termed intelligent layered nanoflare, which integrates DNA computing at the nanoscale, via the self-assembly of DNA flares on a single gold nanoparticle. As a ``lab-on-a-nanoparticle'', the intelligent layered nanoflare could be engineered to perform a variety of Boolean logic gate operations, including three basic logic gates, one three-input AND gate, and two complex logic operations, in a digital non-leaky way. In addition, the layered nanoflare can serve as a programmable strategy to sequentially tune the size of nanoparticles, as well as a new fingerprint spectrum technique for intelligent multiplex biosensing. More importantly, the nanoflare developed here can also act as a single entity for intracellular DNA logic gate delivery, without the need of commercial transfection agents or other auxiliary carriers. By incorporating DNA circuits on nanoparticles, the presented layered nanoflare will broaden the applications of DNA circuits in biological systems, and facilitate the development of DNA nanotechnology.DNA strand displacement cascades have been engineered to construct various fascinating DNA circuits. However, biological applications are limited by the insufficient cellular internalization of naked DNA structures, as well as the separated multicomponent feature. In this work, these problems are addressed by the development of a novel DNA nanodevice, termed intelligent layered nanoflare, which integrates DNA computing at the nanoscale, via the self-assembly of DNA flares on a single gold nanoparticle. As a ``lab-on-a-nanoparticle'', the intelligent layered nanoflare could be engineered to perform a variety of Boolean logic gate operations, including three basic logic gates, one three-input AND gate, and two complex logic operations, in a digital non-leaky way. In addition, the layered nanoflare can serve as a programmable strategy to sequentially tune the size of nanoparticles, as well as a new fingerprint spectrum technique for intelligent multiplex biosensing. More importantly, the nanoflare developed here can also act as a single entity for intracellular DNA logic gate delivery, without the need of commercial transfection agents or other auxiliary carriers. By incorporating DNA circuits on nanoparticles, the presented layered nanoflare will broaden the applications of DNA circuits in biological systems, and facilitate the development of DNA nanotechnology. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Additional figures (Table S1, Fig. S1-S5). See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr01676a

A controllable molecular sieve for Na+ and K+ ions.

PubMed

Gong, Xiaojing; Li, Jichen; Xu, Ke; Wang, Jianfeng; Yang, Hui

2010-02-17

The selective rate of specific ion transport across nanoporous material is critical to biological and nanofluidic systems. Molecular sieves for ions can be achieved by steric and electrical effects. However, the radii of Na(+) and K(+) are quite similar; they both carry a positive charge, making them difficult to separate. Biological ionic channels contain precisely arranged arrays of amino acids that can efficiently recognize and guide the passage of K(+) or Na(+) across the cell membrane. However, the design of inorganic channels with novel recognition mechanisms that control the ionic selectivity remains a challenge. We present here a design for a controllable ion-selective nanopore (molecular sieve) based on a single-walled carbon nanotube with specially arranged carbonyl oxygen atoms modified inside the nanopore, which was inspired by the structure of potassium channels in membrane spanning proteins (e.g., KcsA). Our molecular dynamics simulations show that the remarkable selectivity is attributed to the hydration structure of Na(+) or K(+) confined in the nanochannels, which can be precisely tuned by different patterns of the carbonyl oxygen atoms. The results also suggest that a confined environment plays a dominant role in the selectivity process. These studies provide a better understanding of the mechanism of ionic selectivity in the KcsA channel and possible technical applications in nanotechnology and biotechnology, including serving as a laboratory-in-nanotube for special chemical interactions and as a high-efficiency nanodevice for purification or desalination of sea and brackish water.

Electron Transport in Multi-Terminal Graphene Nanodevice with Inclined Cross Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, En-Jia; Shi, Yi-Jian; Zhao, Xuean

2014-12-01

The DC and AC transport properties are investigated in multi-terminal graphene nanoribbon (GNR) devices. The devices are composed of three or four graphene ribbons connected with different angles. It is found that DC and AC conductances depend on the structural configurations and ribbon properties. In the vicinity of Dirac point, the intersection of graphene ribbons forms band mixing and results in resonant or anti-resonant states. The edge and width, as well as, the angles of the graphene ribbons influence the DC and AC transport properties drastically. These properties can be used to build future graphene-based nanoelectronics.

Fabricating photoswitches and field-effect transistors from self-assembled tetra(2-isopropyl-5-methyphenoxy) copper phthalocyanines nanowires.

PubMed

Cheng, Chuanwei; Gao, Junshan; Xu, Guoyue; Zhang, Haiqian; Li, Yingying; Luo, Yan

2009-05-01

Tetra(2-isopropyl-5-methyphenoxy) copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) nanowires synthesized by a facile, low temperature self-assembled route, were incorporated into nano-devices: photoswitch and organic field-effect transistor. The devices were capable of switching on/off reversibly and fast by turning the 808 nm infrared light on/off. And the carrier mobility micro of CuPc nanowires incorporated in the devices was -0.02 cm2/V x s. The prelimenary results in this study show the potential application of metal phthalocyanine nanowires in low-cost fabrication of nano photo-electric devices.

Calculation of transmission probability by solving an eigenvalue problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bubin, Sergiy; Varga, Kálmán

2010-11-01

The electron transmission probability in nanodevices is calculated by solving an eigenvalue problem. The eigenvalues are the transmission probabilities and the number of nonzero eigenvalues is equal to the number of open quantum transmission eigenchannels. The number of open eigenchannels is typically a few dozen at most, thus the computational cost amounts to the calculation of a few outer eigenvalues of a complex Hermitian matrix (the transmission matrix). The method is implemented on a real space grid basis providing an alternative to localized atomic orbital based quantum transport calculations. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the efficiency of the method.

On-surface formation of one-dimensional polyphenylene through Bergman cyclization.

PubMed

Sun, Qiang; Zhang, Chi; Li, Zhiwen; Kong, Huihui; Tan, Qinggang; Hu, Aiguo; Xu, Wei

2013-06-12

On-surface fabrication of covalently interlinked conjugated nanostructures has attracted significant attention, mainly because of the high stability and efficient electron transport ability of these structures. Here, from the interplay of scanning tunneling microscopy imaging and density functional theory calculations, we report for the first time on-surface formation of one-dimensional polyphenylene chains through Bergman cyclization followed by radical polymerization on Cu(110). The formed surface nanostructures were further corroborated by the results for the ex situ-synthesized molecular product after Bergman cyclization. These findings are of particular interest and importance for the construction of molecular electronic nanodevices on surfaces.

A versatile nanotechnology to connect individual nano-objects for the fabrication of hybrid single-electron devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernand-Mantel, A.; Bouzehouane, K.; Seneor, P.; Fusil, S.; Deranlot, C.; Brenac, A.; Notin, L.; Morel, R.; Petroff, F.; Fert, A.

2010-11-01

We report on the high yield connection of single nano-objects as small as a few nanometres in diameter to separately elaborated metallic electrodes, using a 'table-top' nanotechnology. Single-electron transport measurements validate that transport occurs through a single nano-object. The vertical geometry of the device natively allows an independent choice of materials for each electrode and the nano-object. In addition ferromagnetic materials can be used without encountering oxidation problems. The possibility of elaborating such hybrid nanodevices opens new routes for the democratization of spintronic studies in low dimensions.

Modeling direct interband tunneling. II. Lower-dimensional structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pan, Andrew, E-mail: pandrew@ucla.edu; Chui, Chi On; California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095

We investigate the applicability of the two-band Hamiltonian and the widely used Kane analytical formula to interband tunneling along unconfined directions in nanostructures. Through comparisons with k·p and tight-binding calculations and quantum transport simulations, we find that the primary correction is the change in effective band gap. For both constant fields and realistic tunnel field-effect transistors, dimensionally consistent band gap scaling of the Kane formula allows analytical and numerical device simulations to approximate non-equilibrium Green's function current characteristics without arbitrary fitting. This allows efficient first-order calibration of semiclassical models for interband tunneling in nanodevices.

Patterned Diblock Co-Polymer Thin Films as Templates for Advanced Anisotropic Metal Nanostructures.

PubMed

Roth, Stephan V; Santoro, Gonzalo; Risch, Johannes F H; Yu, Shun; Schwartzkopf, Matthias; Boese, Torsten; Döhrmann, Ralph; Zhang, Peng; Besner, Bastian; Bremer, Philipp; Rukser, Dieter; Rübhausen, Michael A; Terrill, Nick J; Staniec, Paul A; Yao, Yuan; Metwalli, Ezzeldin; Müller-Buschbaum, Peter

2015-06-17

We demonstrate glancing-angle deposition of gold on a nanostructured diblock copolymer, namely polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) thin film. Exploiting the selective wetting of gold on the polystyrene block, we are able to fabricate directional hierarchical structures. We prove the asymmetric growth of the gold nanoparticles and are able to extract the different growth laws by in situ scattering methods. The optical anisotropy of these hierarchical hybrid materials is further probed by angular resolved spectroscopic methods. This approach enables us to tailor functional hierarchical layers in nanodevices, such as nanoantennae arrays, organic photovoltaics, and sensor electronics.

The role of nanobiotechnology in drug discovery.

PubMed

Jain, Kewal K

2009-01-01

The potential applications of nanotechnology in life sciences, particularly nanobiotechnology, include those for drug discovery. This chapter shows how several of the nanotechnologies including nanoparticles and various nanodevices such as nanobiosensors and nanobiochips are being used to improve drug discovery. Nanoscale assays using nanoliter volumes contribute to cost saving. Some nanosubstances such as fullerenes are drug candidates. There are some safety concerns about the in vivo use of nanoparticles that are being investigated. However, future prospects for applications in healthcare of drugs discovered through nanotechnology and their role in the development of personalized medicine appear to be excellent.

Modulating optical properties of graphene oxide: role of prominent functional groups.

PubMed

Johari, Priya; Shenoy, Vivek B

2011-09-27

To modulate the electronic and optical properties of graphene oxide via controlled deoxidation, a proper understanding of the role of the individual functional group in determining these properties is required. We, therefore, have performed ab initio density functional theory based calculations to study the electronic and optical properties of model structures of graphene oxide with different coverages and compositions. In particular, we considered various concentrations of major functional groups like epoxides, hydroxyls, and carbonyls, which mainly consititute the graphene oxide and the reduced graphene oxide. Our calculated electron energy loss spectra (EELS) demonstrate the π plasmon peak to be less sensitive, while π + σ plasmon is found to have a significant blue shift of about 1.0-3.0 eV, when the concentration of epoxy and hydroxyl functional groups in graphene oxide vary from 25% to 75%. However, the increase in carbonyl groups in the center of the graphene sheet creates holes, which lead to the red shift of the EELS. In the case of 37.5% of oxygen-to-carbon ratio, we find the π plasmon peak to be shifted by roughly 1.0 eV as compared to that of the pristine graphene. Our results agree well with the experimental findings which suggest a blue shift in the EELS of graphene oxide and an absorption feature due to a π electron transition of the carbonyl groups at a lower energy than that of epoxy and hydroxyl groups. We also show that the increase in the width of the hole created by the carbonyl groups significantly decreases the optical gap and opens the band gap, and thus, we argue that reduced graphene oxide with mostly carbonyl groups could be a useful material for developing tunable opto-electronic nanodevices. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Collective Poisson process with periodic rates: applications in physics from micro-to nanodevices.

PubMed

da Silva, Roberto; Lamb, Luis C; Wirth, Gilson Inacio

2011-01-28

Continuous reductions in the dimensions of semiconductor devices have led to an increasing number of noise sources, including random telegraph signals (RTS) due to the capture and emission of electrons by traps at random positions between oxide and semiconductor. The models traditionally used for microscopic devices become of limited validity in nano- and mesoscale systems since, in such systems, distributed quantities such as electron and trap densities, and concepts like electron mobility, become inadequate to model electrical behaviour. In addition, current experimental works have shown that RTS in semiconductor devices based on carbon nanotubes lead to giant current fluctuations. Therefore, the physics of this phenomenon and techniques to decrease the amplitudes of RTS need to be better understood. This problem can be described as a collective Poisson process under different, but time-independent, rates, τ(c) and τ(e), that control the capture and emission of electrons by traps distributed over the oxide. Thus, models that consider calculations performed under time-dependent periodic capture and emission rates should be of interest in order to model more efficient devices. We show a complete theoretical description of a model that is capable of showing a noise reduction of current fluctuations in the time domain, and a reduction of the power spectral density in the frequency domain, in semiconductor devices as predicted by previous experimental work. We do so through numerical integrations and a novel Monte Carlo Markov chain (MCMC) algorithm based on microscopic discrete values. The proposed model also handles the ballistic regime, relevant in nano- and mesoscale devices. Finally, we show that the ballistic regime leads to nonlinearity in the electrical behaviour.

An enhanced high-speed multi-digit BCD adder using quantum-dot cellular automata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajitha, D.; Ramanaiah, K. V.; Sumalatha, V.

2017-02-01

The advent of development of high-performance, low-power digital circuits is achieved by a suitable emerging nanodevice called quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA). Even though many efficient arithmetic circuits were designed using QCA, there is still a challenge to implement high-speed circuits in an optimized manner. Among these circuits, one of the essential structures is a parallel multi-digit decimal adder unit with significant speed which is very attractive for future environments. To achieve high speed, a new correction logic formulation method is proposed for single and multi-digit BCD adder. The proposed enhanced single-digit BCD adder (ESDBA) is 26% faster than the carry flow adder (CFA)-based BCD adder. The multi-digit operations are also performed using the proposed ESDBA, which is cascaded innovatively. The enhanced multi-digit BCD adder (EMDBA) performs two 4-digit and two 8-digit BCD addition 50% faster than the CFA-based BCD adder with the nominal overhead of the area. The EMDBA performs two 4-digit BCD addition 24% faster with 23% decrease in the area, similarly for 8-digit operation the EMDBA achieves 36% increase in speed with 21% less area compared to the existing carry look ahead (CLA)-based BCD adder design. The proposed multi-digit adder produces significantly less delay of (N –1) + 3.5 clock cycles compared to the N* One digit BCD adder delay required by the conventional BCD adder method. It is observed that as per our knowledge this is the first innovative proposal for multi-digit BCD addition using QCA.

Aminosilane multilayer formed on a single-crystalline diamond surface with controlled nanoscopic hardness and bioactivity by a wet process.

PubMed

Amemiya, Yosuke; Hatakeyama, Akiko; Shimamoto, Nobuo

2009-01-06

Diamond could be an excellent support for nanodevices utilizing biomolecules if it is covered with a polymer layer immobilizing a variety of biomolecules. We report a wet method to form a 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) multilayer with a controlled hardness, roughness, and capacity for immobilizing protein. The method is feasible in typical biochemical laboratories where biomolecules are prepared. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that the surface geometries and nanoscopic hardness of the multilayers on an oxygen-terminated single-crystalline diamond surface depended on the dielectric constant of the solvent; the smaller the constant, the harder the layer. The hard multilayers had holes and APTES aggregates on the surfaces, while less hard ones had homogeneous surfaces with rare holes and little aggregates. The secondary deposition of APTES in a solvent with a large dielectric constant on a hard multilayer removed the holes, and further treatment of the multilayer in acidic ethanol solution diminished the aggregates. Such a surface can immobilize streptavidin with enough specificity against nonspecific adsorption using a combination of polyethylene glycol reagents. The results of a scratching test and nanoindentation test with AFM provided consistent results, suggesting some universality of the scratching test independent of the tip structure of the cantilever. The mechanism of formation of multilayers on the diamond surface and their binding to it is discussed.

End-specific strategies of attachment of long double stranded DNA onto gold-coated nanofiber arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peckys, Diana B.; de Jonge, Niels; Simpson, Michael L.; McKnight, Timothy E.

2008-10-01

We report the effective and site-specific binding of long double stranded (ds)DNA to high aspect ratio carbon nanofiber arrays. The carbon nanofibers were first coated with a thin gold layer to provide anchorage for two controllable binding methods. One method was based on the direct binding of thiol end-labeled dsDNA. The second and enhanced method used amine end-labeled dsDNA bound with crosslinkers to a carboxyl-terminated self-assembled monolayer. The bound dsDNA was first visualized with a fluorescent, dsDNA-intercalating dye. The specific binding onto the carbon nanofiber was verified by a high resolution detection method using scanning electron microscopy in combination with the binding of neutravidin-coated fluorescent microspheres to the immobilized and biotinylated dsDNA. Functional activity of thiol end-labeled dsDNA on gold-coated nanofiber arrays was verified with a transcriptional assay, whereby Chinese hamster lung cells (V79) were impaled upon the DNA-modified nanofibers and scored for transgene expression of the tethered template. Thiol end-labeled dsDNA demonstrated significantly higher expression levels than nanofibers prepared with control dsDNA that lacked a gold-binding end-label. Employing these site-specific and robust techniques of immobilization of dsDNA onto nanodevices can be of advantage for the study of DNA/protein interactions and for gene delivery applications.

Manipulation and Investigation of Uniformly-Spaced Nanowire Array on a Substrate via Dielectrophoresis and Electrostatic Interaction.

PubMed

Choi, U Hyeok; Park, Ji Hun; Kim, Jaekyun

2018-06-21

Directed-assembly of nanowires on the dielectrics-covered parallel electrode structure is capable of producing uniformly-spaced nanowire array at the electrode gap due to dielectrophoretic nanowire attraction and electrostatic nanowire repulsion. Beyond uniformly-spaced nanowire array formation, the control of spacing in the array is beneficial in that it should be the experimental basis of the precise positioning of functional nanowires on a circuit. Here, we investigate the material parameters and bias conditions to modulate the nanowire spacing in the ordered array, where the nanowire array formation is readily attained due to the electrostatic nanowire interaction. A theoretical model for the force calculation and the simulation of the induced charge in the assembled nanowire verifies that the longer nanowires on thicker dielectric layer tend to be assembled with a larger pitch due to the stronger nanowire-nanowire electrostatic repulsion, which is consistent with the experimental results. It was claimed that the stronger dielectrophoretic force is likely to attract more nanowires that are suspended in solution at the electrode gap, causing them to be less-spaced. Thus, we propose a generic mechanism, competition of dielectrophoretic and electrostatic force, to determine the nanowire pitch in an ordered array. Furthermore, this spacing-controlled nanowire array offers a way to fabricate the high-density nanodevice array without nanowire registration.

Tunable magnetic states on the zigzag edges of hydrogenated and halogenated group-IV nanoribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuang, Feng-Chuan; Wang, Tzu-Cheng; Hsu, Chia-Hsiu; Huang, Zhi-Quan; Su, Wan-Sheng; Guo, Guang-Yu

The magnetic and electronic properties of hydrogenated and halogenated group-IV zigzag nanoribbons (ZNRs) are investigated by first-principles density functional calculations. Fascinatingly, we find that all the ZNRs have magnetic edges with a rich variety of electronic and magnetic properties tunable by selecting the parent and passivating elements as well as controlling the magnetization direction and external strain. In particular, the electric property of the edge band structure can be tuned from the conducting to insulating with a band gap up to 0.7 eV, depending on the parent and passivating elements as well as the applied strain, magnetic configuration and magnetization orientation. The last controllability would allow us to develop magnetic on-off nano-switches. Furthermore, ZNRs such as SiI, Ge, GeI and SnH, have fully spin-polarized metallic edge states and thus are promising materials for spintronics. The calculated magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy can be as large as 9 meV/edge-site, being 2000 time greater than that of bulk Ni and Fe ( 5 μeV/atom), and thus has great potential for high density magneto-electric data-storage devices. Finally, the calculated exchange coupling strength and thus magnetic transition temperature increases as the applied strain goes from -5 % to 5 %. Our findings thus show that these ZNRs would have exciting applications in next-generation electronic and spintronic nano-devices.

Directing folding pathways for multi-component DNA origami nanostructures with complex topology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marras, A. E.; Zhou, L.; Kolliopoulos, V.; Su, H.-J.; Castro, C. E.

2016-05-01

Molecular self-assembly has become a well-established technique to design complex nanostructures and hierarchical mesoscale assemblies. The typical approach is to design binding complementarity into nucleotide or amino acid sequences to achieve the desired final geometry. However, with an increasing interest in dynamic nanodevices, the need to design structures with motion has necessitated the development of multi-component structures. While this has been achieved through hierarchical assembly of similar structural units, here we focus on the assembly of topologically complex structures, specifically with concentric components, where post-folding assembly is not feasible. We exploit the ability to direct folding pathways to program the sequence of assembly and present a novel approach of designing the strand topology of intermediate folding states to program the topology of the final structure, in this case a DNA origami slider structure that functions much like a piston-cylinder assembly in an engine. The ability to program the sequence and control orientation and topology of multi-component DNA origami nanostructures provides a foundation for a new class of structures with internal and external moving parts and complex scaffold topology. Furthermore, this work provides critical insight to guide the design of intermediate states along a DNA origami folding pathway and to further understand the details of DNA origami self-assembly to more broadly control folding states and landscapes.

Liposomes bi-functionalized with phosphatidic acid and an ApoE-derived peptide affect Aβ aggregation features and cross the blood-brain-barrier: implications for therapy of Alzheimer disease.

PubMed

Bana, Laura; Minniti, Stefania; Salvati, Elisa; Sesana, Silvia; Zambelli, Vanessa; Cagnotto, Alfredo; Orlando, Antonina; Cazzaniga, Emanuela; Zwart, Rob; Scheper, Wiep; Masserini, Massimo; Re, Francesca

2014-10-01

Targeting amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) within the brain is a strategy actively sought for therapy of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated the ability of liposomes bi-functionalized with phosphatidic acid and with a modified ApoE-derived peptide (mApoE-PA-LIP) to affect Aβ aggregation/disaggregation features and to cross in vitro and in vivo the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Surface plasmon resonance showed that bi-functionalized liposomes strongly bind Aβ (kD=0.6 μM), while Thioflavin-T and SDS-PAGE/WB assays show that liposomes inhibit peptide aggregation (70% inhibition after 72 h) and trigger the disaggregation of preformed aggregates (60% decrease after 120 h incubation). Moreover, experiments with dually radiolabelled LIP suggest that bi-functionalization enhances the passage of radioactivity across the BBB either in vitro (permeability=2.5×10(-5) cm/min, 5-fold higher with respect to mono-functionalized liposomes) or in vivo in healthy mice. Taken together, our results suggest that mApoE-PA-LIP are valuable nanodevices with a potential applicability in vivo for the treatment of AD. From the clinical editor: Bi-functionalized liposomes with phosphatidic acid and a modified ApoE-derived peptide were demonstrated to influence Aβ aggregation/disaggregation as a potential treatment in an Alzheimer's model. The liposomes were able to cross the blood-brain barrier in vitro and in vivo. Similar liposomes may become clinically valuable nanodevices with a potential applicability for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermal replacement reaction: a novel route for synthesizing eco-friendly ZnO@γ-In2Se3 hetero-nanostructures by replacing cadmium with indium and their photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhuo; Choi, Mingi; Baek, Minki; Yong, Kijung

2015-05-01

A novel route called thermal replacement reaction was demonstrated for synthesizing eco-friendly ZnO@γ-In2Se3 hetero-structural nanowires on FTO glass by replacing the element cadmium with indium for the first time. The indium layer was coated on the surface of the ZnO nanowires beforehand, then CdSe quantum dots were deposited onto the coated indium layer, and finally the CdSe quantum dots were converted to γ-In2Se3 quantum dots by annealing under vacuum at 350 °C for one hour. The prepared ZnO@γ-In2Se3 hetero-nanostructures exhibit stable photoelectrochemical properties that can be ascribed to the protection of the In2O3 layer between the ZnO nanowire and γ-In2Se3 quantum dots and better photocatalytic performance in the wide wavelength region from 400 nm to nearly 750 nm. This strategy for preparing the ZnO@γ-In2Se3 hetero-nanostructures not only enriches our understanding of the single replacement reaction where the active element cadmium can be replaced with indium, but also opens a new way for the in situ conversion of cadmium-based to eco-friendly indium-based nano-devices.

Thermal replacement reaction: a novel route for synthesizing eco-friendly ZnO@γ-In2Se3 hetero-nanostructures by replacing cadmium with indium and their photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performances.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhuo; Choi, Mingi; Baek, Minki; Yong, Kijung

2015-05-21

A novel route called thermal replacement reaction was demonstrated for synthesizing eco-friendly ZnO@γ-In2Se3 hetero-structural nanowires on FTO glass by replacing the element cadmium with indium for the first time. The indium layer was coated on the surface of the ZnO nanowires beforehand, then CdSe quantum dots were deposited onto the coated indium layer, and finally the CdSe quantum dots were converted to γ-In2Se3 quantum dots by annealing under vacuum at 350 °C for one hour. The prepared ZnO@γ-In2Se3 hetero-nanostructures exhibit stable photoelectrochemical properties that can be ascribed to the protection of the In2O3 layer between the ZnO nanowire and γ-In2Se3 quantum dots and better photocatalytic performance in the wide wavelength region from 400 nm to nearly 750 nm. This strategy for preparing the ZnO@γ-In2Se3 hetero-nanostructures not only enriches our understanding of the single replacement reaction where the active element cadmium can be replaced with indium, but also opens a new way for the in situ conversion of cadmium-based to eco-friendly indium-based nano-devices.

Memristive effects in oxygenated amorphous carbon nanodevices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachmann, T. A.; Koelmans, W. W.; Jonnalagadda, V. P.; Le Gallo, M.; Santini, C. A.; Sebastian, A.; Eleftheriou, E.; Craciun, M. F.; Wright, C. D.

2018-01-01

Computing with resistive-switching (memristive) memory devices has shown much recent progress and offers an attractive route to circumvent the von-Neumann bottleneck, i.e. the separation of processing and memory, which limits the performance of conventional computer architectures. Due to their good scalability and nanosecond switching speeds, carbon-based resistive-switching memory devices could play an important role in this respect. However, devices based on elemental carbon, such as tetrahedral amorphous carbon or ta-C, typically suffer from a low cycling endurance. A material that has proven to be capable of combining the advantages of elemental carbon-based memories with simple fabrication methods and good endurance performance for binary memory applications is oxygenated amorphous carbon, or a-CO x . Here, we examine the memristive capabilities of nanoscale a-CO x devices, in particular their ability to provide the multilevel and accumulation properties that underpin computing type applications. We show the successful operation of nanoscale a-CO x memory cells for both the storage of multilevel states (here 3-level) and for the provision of an arithmetic accumulator. We implement a base-16, or hexadecimal, accumulator and show how such a device can carry out hexadecimal arithmetic and simultaneously store the computed result in the self-same a-CO x cell, all using fast (sub-10 ns) and low-energy (sub-pJ) input pulses.

Nanorobot Hardware Architecture for Medical Defense

PubMed Central

Cavalcanti, Adriano; Shirinzadeh, Bijan; Zhang, Mingjun; Kretly, Luiz C.

2008-01-01

This work presents a new approach with details on the integrated platform and hardware architecture for nanorobots application in epidemic control, which should enable real time in vivo prognosis of biohazard infection. The recent developments in the field of nanoelectronics, with transducers progressively shrinking down to smaller sizes through nanotechnology and carbon nanotubes, are expected to result in innovative biomedical instrumentation possibilities, with new therapies and efficient diagnosis methodologies. The use of integrated systems, smart biosensors, and programmable nanodevices are advancing nanoelectronics, enabling the progressive research and development of molecular machines. It should provide high precision pervasive biomedical monitoring with real time data transmission. The use of nanobioelectronics as embedded systems is the natural pathway towards manufacturing methodology to achieve nanorobot applications out of laboratories sooner as possible. To demonstrate the practical application of medical nanorobotics, a 3D simulation based on clinical data addresses how to integrate communication with nanorobots using RFID, mobile phones, and satellites, applied to long distance ubiquitous surveillance and health monitoring for troops in conflict zones. Therefore, the current model can also be used to prevent and save a population against the case of some targeted epidemic disease. PMID:27879858

Energy scavenging based on a single-crystal PMN-PT nanobelt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Fan; Cai, Wei; Yeh, Yao-Wen; Xu, Shiyou; Yao, Nan

2016-03-01

Self-powered nanodevices scavenging mechanical energy require piezoelectric nanostructures with high piezoelectric coefficients. Here we report the fabrication of a single-crystal (1 - x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 - xPbTiO3 (PMN-PT) nanobelt with a superior piezoelectric constant (d33 = ~550 pm/V), which is approximately ~150%, 430%, and 2100% of the largest reported values for previous PMN-PT, PZT and ZnO nanostructures, respectively. The high d33 of the single-crystalline PMN-PT nanobelt results from the precise orientation control during its fabrication. As a demonstration of its application in energy scavenging, a piezoelectric nanogenerator (PNG) is built on the single PMN-PT nanobelt, generating a maximum output voltage of ~1.2 V. This value is ~4 times higher than that of a single-CdTe PNG, ~13 times higher than that of a single-ZnSnO3 PNG, and ~26 times higher than that of a single-ZnO PNG. The profoundly increased output voltage of a lateral PNG built on a single PMN-PT nanobelt demonstrates the potential application of PMN-PT nanostructures in energy harvesting, thus enriching the material choices for PNGs.

Energy scavenging based on a single-crystal PMN-PT nanobelt.

PubMed

Wu, Fan; Cai, Wei; Yeh, Yao-Wen; Xu, Shiyou; Yao, Nan

2016-03-01

Self-powered nanodevices scavenging mechanical energy require piezoelectric nanostructures with high piezoelectric coefficients. Here we report the fabrication of a single-crystal (1 - x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 - xPbTiO3 (PMN-PT) nanobelt with a superior piezoelectric constant (d33 = ~550 pm/V), which is approximately ~150%, 430%, and 2100% of the largest reported values for previous PMN-PT, PZT and ZnO nanostructures, respectively. The high d33 of the single-crystalline PMN-PT nanobelt results from the precise orientation control during its fabrication. As a demonstration of its application in energy scavenging, a piezoelectric nanogenerator (PNG) is built on the single PMN-PT nanobelt, generating a maximum output voltage of ~1.2 V. This value is ~4 times higher than that of a single-CdTe PNG, ~13 times higher than that of a single-ZnSnO3 PNG, and ~26 times higher than that of a single-ZnO PNG. The profoundly increased output voltage of a lateral PNG built on a single PMN-PT nanobelt demonstrates the potential application of PMN-PT nanostructures in energy harvesting, thus enriching the material choices for PNGs.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hong, Yi-Siang; Chen, Jui-Yuan; Huang, Chun-Wei

Recently, the mechanism of resistive random access memory (RRAM) has been partly clarified and determined to be controlled by the forming and erasing of conducting filaments (CF). However, the size of the CF may restrict the application and development as devices are scaled down. In this work, we synthesized CuO nanowires (NW) (∼150 nm in diameter) to fabricate a CuO NW RRAM nanodevice that was much smaller than the filament (∼2 μm) observed in a bulk CuO RRAM device in a previous study. HRTEM indicated that the Cu{sub 2}O phase was generated after operation, which demonstrated that the filament could be minimizemore » to as small as 3.8 nm when the device is scaled down. In addition, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) show the resistive switching of the dielectric layer resulted from the aggregated oxygen vacancies, which also match with the I-V fitting results. Those results not only verify the switching mechanism of CuO RRAM but also show RRAM has the potential to shrink in size, which will be beneficial to the practical application of RRAM devices.« less

Nanotechnology: from In Vivo Imaging System to Controlled Drug Delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mir, Maria; Ishtiaq, Saba; Rabia, Samreen; Khatoon, Maryam; Zeb, Ahmad; Khan, Gul Majid; ur Rehman, Asim; ud Din, Fakhar

2017-08-01

Science and technology have always been the vitals of human's struggle, utilized exclusively for the development of novel tools and products, ranging from micro- to nanosize. Nanotechnology has gained significant attention due to its extensive applications in biomedicine, particularly related to bio imaging and drug delivery. Various nanodevices and nanomaterials have been developed for the diagnosis and treatment of different diseases. Herein, we have described two primary aspects of the nanomedicine, i.e., in vivo imaging and drug delivery, highlighting the recent advancements and future explorations. Tremendous advancements in the nanotechnology tools for the imaging, particularly of the cancer cells, have recently been observed. Nanoparticles offer a suitable medium to carryout molecular level modifications including the site-specific imaging and targeting. Invention of radionuclides, quantum dots, magnetic nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes and use of gold nanoparticles in biosensors have revolutionized the field of imaging, resulting in easy understanding of the pathophysiology of disease, improved ability to diagnose and enhanced therapeutic delivery. This high specificity and selectivity of the nanomedicine is important, and thus, the recent advancements in this field need to be understood for a better today and a more prosperous future.

Enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit in DNA-like systems induced by Fano and Dicke effects.

PubMed

Fu, Hua-Hua; Gu, Lei; Wu, Dan-Dan; Zhang, Zu-Quan

2015-04-28

We report a theoretical study highlighting the thermoelectric properties of biological and synthetic DNA molecules. Based on an effective tight-binding model of duplex DNA and by using the nonequilibrium Green's function technique, the thermal conductance, electrical conductance, Seebeck coefficient and thermoelectric figure of merit in the system are numerically calculated by varying the asymmetries of energies and electronic hoppings in the backbone sites to simulate the environmental complications and fluctuations. We find that due to the multiple transport paths in the DNA molecule, the Fano antiresonance occurs, and enhances the Seebeck coefficient and the figure of merit. When the energy difference is produced in every opposite backbone site, the Dicke effect appears. This effect gives rise to a semiconducting-metallic transition, and enhances the thermoelectric efficiency of the DNA molecule remarkably. Moreover, as the Fano antiresonance point is close to the Dicke resonance one, a giant enhancement in the thermoelectric figure of merit in the DNA molecule has been found. These results provide a scenario to obtain effective routes to enhance the thermoelectric efficiency in the DNA molecules, and suggest perspectives for future experiments intending to control the thermoelectric transport in DNA-like nanodevices.

Rabi-Bloch oscillations in spatially distributed systems: Temporal dynamics and frequency spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levie, Ilay; Kastner, Raphael; Slepyan, Gregory

2017-10-01

We consider one-dimensional chains of two-level quantum systems coupled via tunneling. The chain is driven by the superposition of dc and ac fields in the strong coupling regime. Based on the fundamental principles of electrodynamics and quantum theory, we have developed a generalized model of quantum dynamics for such interactions, free of rotating-wave approximation. The system of equations of motion was studied numerically. We analyzed the dynamics and spectra of the inversion density, dipole current density, and tunneling current density. In the case of resonant interaction with the ac component, the particle dynamics exhibits itself in the oscillatory regime, which may be interpreted as a combination of Rabi and Bloch oscillations with their strong mutual influence. Such scenario for an obliquely incident ac field dramatically differs from the individual picture of both types of oscillations due to the interactions. This effect is counterintuitive because of the existence of markedly different frequency ranges for such two types of oscillations. These dynamics manifest themselves in multiline spectra in different combinations of Rabi and Bloch frequencies. The effect is promising as a framework of a new type of spectroscopy in nanoelectronics and electrical control of nanodevices.

Versatile transfer of aligned carbon nanotubes with polydimethylsiloxane as the intermediate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yanwu; Lim, Xiaodai; Chea Sim, Mong; Teck Lim, Chwee; Haur Sow, Chorng

2008-08-01

A simple technique to transfer aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is demonstrated in this work. With polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as the transfer medium, as-grown or patterned MWCNT arrays are directly transferred onto a wide variety of Pt-coated substrates such as glossy paper, cloth, polymers, glass slides, and metal foils at low temperatures. The surface of the transferred CNTs is cleaner with better alignment, compared with the as-grown one. Furthermore, the transferred CNTs show strong adhesion and good electric contact with the target substrates. A maximal current density of ~104 A cm-2 has been achieved from the CNT interconnects prepared with this technique. Because of the lower density and open-ended structures, improved field emission performance has been obtained from CNTs transferred on polymers, based on which flexible emitter devices can be fabricated. In addition, the surface of transferred CNTs becomes more hydrophilic, with an averaged contact angle of 93.4 ± 5.8°, in contrast to the super-hydrophobic as-grown CNT surface (contact angle 151.6 ± 5.5°). With versatile properties and flexible applications, the technique provides a simple and cost-effective way towards future nanodevices based on CNTs.

Transferrin-Conjugated Nanocarriers as Active-Targeted Drug Delivery Platforms for Cancer Therapy.

PubMed

Nogueira-Librelotto, Daniele R; Codevilla, Cristiane F; Farooqi, Ammad; Rolim, Clarice M B

2017-01-01

A lot of effort has been devoted to achieving active targeting for cancer therapy in order to reach the right cells. Hence, increasingly it is being realized that active-targeted nanocarriers notably reduce off-target effects, mainly because of targeted localization in tumors and active cellular uptake. In this context, by taking advantage of the overexpression of transferrin receptors on the surface of tumor cells, transferrin-conjugated nanodevices have been designed, in hope that the biomarker grafting would help to maximize the therapeutic benefit and to minimize the side effects. Notably, active targeting nanoparticles have shown improved therapeutic performances in different tumor models as compared to their passive targeting counterparts. In this review, current development of nano-based devices conjugated with transferrin for active tumor-targeting drug delivery are highlighted and discussed. The main objective of this review is to provide a summary of the vast types of nanomaterials that have been used to deliver different chemotherapeutics into tumor cells, and to ultimately evaluate the progression on the strategies for cancer therapy in view of the future research. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Viewpoint: Exorcizing Maxwell’s demon

DOE PAGES

Deffner, Sebastian

2015-12-01

Here, physicists have been haunted by the idea of Maxwell's demon for almost 150 years. The beast, conjured in a thought experiment by James Clerk Maxwell, sorts particles in a gas according to their speeds, thus transferring heat from the colder, evenly mixed gas to the region containing the hotter, high-speed particles. At first sight, the demon appears to violate the second law of thermodynamics. But the paradox can be resolved by realizing that work must be performed on the demon for it to do its job properly. This description isn’t entirely satisfying, however, as it introduces an external—not necessarilymore » physical—entity to do work on the demon. Jukka Pekola and colleagues of Aalto University in Finland [1] have now exorcised such nonphysical beings by realizing a nanodevice equivalent to a Maxwell's demon (Fig. 1), but one whose operation doesn’t depend on an external entity. This so-called autonomous device, also known as an information machine, is completely self-contained. So far, autonomous demons have been a purely theoretical concept; this new experimental system provides a way to test formulations of fundamental axioms of thermodynamics and descriptions of information processing.« less

Reconstruction of perfect ZnO nanowires facets with high optical quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zehani, E.; Hassani, S.; Lusson, A.; Vigneron, J.; Etcheberry, A.; Galtier, P.; Sallet, V.

2017-07-01

ZnO nanowires were grown on sapphire substrates using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The samples were subsequently annealed under zinc pressure in a vacuum-sealed ampoule, at temperature ranging from 500 to 800 °C. The originality and the main motivation to provide a zinc-rich atmosphere were to prevent the out-diffusion of zinc from the nanowires. In doing so, the perfect structural properties and the morphology of the nanowires are kept. Interestingly, photoluminescence experiments performed on nanowires annealed in a narrow window of temperature [580-620 °C] show a spectacular improvement of the optical quality, as transitions commonly observable in high quality bulk samples are found. In addition, the intensity of the so-called "surface excitons" (SX) is strongly decreased. To accurately investigate the chemical modifications of the surface, XPS experiments were carried out and show that zinc hydroxide species and/or Zn(OH)2 sublayer were partially removed from the surface. These results suggest that the annealing process in zinc vapor helps to properly reconstruct the surface of ZnO nanowires, and improves the optical quality of their core. Such a thermal treatment at moderate temperature should be beneficial to nanodevices involving surface reaction, e.g. gas sensors.

Electrical contacts to individual SWCNTs: A review

PubMed Central

Hierold, Christofer; Haluska, Miroslav

2014-01-01

Summary Owing to their superior electrical characteristics, nanometer dimensions and definable lengths, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are considered as one of the most promising materials for various types of nanodevices. Additionally, they can be used as either passive or active elements. To be integrated into circuitry or devices, they are typically connected with metal leads to provide electrical contacts. The properties and quality of these electrical contacts are important for the function and performance of SWCNT-based devices. Since carbon nanotubes are quasi-one-dimensional structures, contacts to them are different from those for bulk semiconductors. Additionally, some techniques used in Si-based technology are not compatible with SWCNT-based device fabrication, such as the contact area cleaning technique. In this review, an overview of the investigations of metal–SWCNT contacts is presented, including the principle of charge carrier injection through the metal–SWCNT contacts and experimental achievements. The methods for characterizing the electrical contacts are discussed as well. The parameters which influence the contact properties are summarized, mainly focusing on the contact geometry, metal type and the cleanliness of the SWCNT surface affected by the fabrication processes. Moreover, the challenges for widespread application of CNFETs are additionally discussed. PMID:25551048

High performance tunnel field-effect transistor by gate and source engineering.

PubMed

Huang, Ru; Huang, Qianqian; Chen, Shaowen; Wu, Chunlei; Wang, Jiaxin; An, Xia; Wang, Yangyuan

2014-12-19

As one of the most promising candidates for future nanoelectronic devices, tunnel field-effect transistors (TFET) can overcome the subthreshold slope (SS) limitation of MOSFET, whereas high ON-current, low OFF-current and steep switching can hardly be obtained at the same time for experimental TFETs. In this paper, we developed a new nanodevice technology based on TFET concepts. By designing the gate configuration and introducing the optimized Schottky junction, a multi-finger-gate TFET with a dopant-segregated Schottky source (mFSB-TFET) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A steeper SS can be achieved in the fabricated mFSB-TFET on the bulk Si substrate benefiting from the coupled quantum band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) mechanism, as well as a high I(ON)/I(OFF) ratio (∼ 10(7)) at V(DS) = 0.2 V without an area penalty. By compatible SOI CMOS technology, the fabricated Si mFSB-TFET device was further optimized with a high ION/IOFF ratio of ∼ 10(8) and a steeper SS of over 5.5 decades of current. A minimum SS of below 60 mV dec(-1) was experimentally obtained, indicating its dominant quantum BTBT mechanism for switching.

Molybdenum disulfide nanoflake-zinc oxide nanowire hybrid photoinverter.

PubMed

Hosseini Shokouh, Seyed Hossein; Pezeshki, Atiye; Ali Raza, Syed Raza; Choi, Kyunghee; Min, Sung-Wook; Jeon, Pyo Jin; Lee, Hee Sung; Im, Seongil

2014-05-27

We demonstrate a hybrid inverter-type nanodevice composed of a MoS2 nanoflake field-effect transistor (FET) and ZnO nanowire Schottky diode on one substrate, aiming at a one-dimensional (1D)-two-dimensional (2D) hybrid integrated electronic circuit with multifunctional capacities of low power consumption, high gain, and photodetection. In the present work, we used a nanotransfer printing method using polydimethylsiloxane for the fabrication of patterned bottom-gate MoS2 nanoflake FETs, so that they could be placed near the ZnO nanowire Schottky diodes that were initially fabricated. The ZnO nanowire Schottky diode and MoS2 FET worked respectively as load and driver for a logic inverter, which exhibits a high voltage gain of ∼50 at a supply voltage of 5 V and also shows a low power consumption of less than 50 nW. Moreover, our inverter effectively operates as a photoinverter, detecting visible photons, since MoS2 FETs appear very photosensitive, while the serially connected ZnO nanowire Schottky diode was blind to visible light. Our 1D-2D hybrid nanoinverter would be quite promising for both logic and photosensing applications due to its performance and simple device configuration as well.

Controlled functionalization of nanoparticles & practical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rashwan, Khaled

With the increasing use of nanoparticles in both science and industry, their chemical modification became a significant part of nanotechnology. Unfortunately, most commonly used procedures provide just randomly functionalized materials. The long-term objective of our work is site- and stoichiometrically-controlled functionalization of nanoparticles with the utilization of solid supports and other nanostructures. On the examples of silica nanoparticles and titanium dioxide nanorods, we have obtained results on the solid-phase chemistry, method development, and modeling, which advanced us toward this goal. At the same time, we explored several applications of nanoparticles that will benefit from the controlled functionalization: imaging of titanium-dioxide-based photocatalysts, bioimaging by fluorescent nanoparticles, drug delivery, assembling of bone implants, and dental compositions. Titanium dioxide-based catalysts are known for their catalytic activity and their application in solar energy utilization such as photosplitting of water. Functionalization of titanium dioxide is essential for enhancing bone-titanium dioxide nanotube adhesion, and, therefore, for its application as an interface between titanium implants and bones. Controlled functionalization of nanoparticles should enhance sensitivity and selectivity of nanoassemblies for imaging and drug delivery applications. Along those lines, we studied the relationship between morphology and surface chemistry of nanoparticles, and their affinity to organic molecules (salicylic and caffeic acid) using Langmuir adsorption isotherms, and toward material surfaces using SEM- and TEM-imaging. We focused on commercial samples of titanium dioxide, titanium dioxide nanorods with and without oleic acid ligands, and differently functionalized silica nanoparticles. My work included synthesis, functionalization, and characterization of several types of nanoparticles, exploring their application in imaging, dentistry, and bone implant construction. Significant part of my experimental efforts was devoted to the solid-phase method development using model organic molecules, as well as affinity of nanoparticles to the functional groups and surfaces that can be used as linkages for constructing functional nanodevices.

Nanodevices for spintronics and methods of using same

DOEpatents

Zaliznyak, Igor; Tsvelik, Alexei; Kharzeev, Dmitri

2013-02-19

Graphene magnet multilayers (GMMs) are employed to facilitate development of spintronic devices. The GMMs can include a sheet of monolayer (ML) or few-layer (FL) graphene in contact with a magnetic material, such as a ferromagnetic (FM) or an antiferromagnetic material. Electrode terminals can be disposed on the GMMs to be in electrical contact with the graphene. A magnetic field effect is induced in the graphene sheet based on an exchange magnetic field resulting from a magnetization of the magnetic material which is in contact with graphene. Electrical characteristics of the graphene can be manipulated based on the magnetization of the magnetic material in the GMM.

Investigation of Dendrimer-Membrane Interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mecke, Almut; Hessler, Jessica; Lee, Inhan; Banaszak Holl, Mark; Orr, Bradford; Patri, Anil K.; Baker, J. R.

2003-03-01

Modified Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers show great promise as targeted drug transport agents. Current research efforts point to the possibility of dramatic improvements to conventional chemotherapy by selectively delivering a therapeutic to antigen bearing tumor cells. In order to better understand the uptake mechanism of such devices into cells we are investigating dendrimer-surface adsorption and dendrimer-membrane interactions using atomic force microscopy, light scattering and computer simulations. Model systems consisting of supported DMPC lipid bilayers have shown interesting results suggesting the shape and architecture of nano-devices play an important role for their biologic activity. We are also investigating the effect of targeted drug vehicles on cells in vitro.

Quantitative impedance characterization of sub-10 nm scale capacitors and tunnel junctions with an interferometric scanning microwave microscope.

PubMed

Wang, Fei; Clément, Nicolas; Ducatteau, Damien; Troadec, David; Tanbakuchi, Hassan; Legrand, Bernard; Dambrine, Gilles; Théron, Didier

2014-10-10

We present a method to characterize sub-10 nm capacitors and tunnel junctions by interferometric scanning microwave microscopy (iSMM) at 7.8 GHz. At such device scaling, the small water meniscus surrounding the iSMM tip should be reduced by proper tip tuning. Quantitative impedance characterization of attofarad range capacitors is achieved using an 'on-chip' calibration kit facing thousands of nanodevices. Nanoscale capacitors and tunnel barriers were detected through variations in the amplitude and phase of the reflected microwave signal, respectively. This study promises quantitative impedance characterization of a wide range of emerging functional nanoscale devices.

Thermoelectric Properties and Thermal Tolerance of Indium Tin Oxide Nanowires.

PubMed

Hernandez, Jose A; Carpena Nunez, Jennifer; Fonseca, Luis F; Pettes, Michael Thompson; Yacaman, Miguel Jose; Benitez, Alfredo

2018-06-14

Single-crystalline indium tin oxide (ITO) nanowires were grown via a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method, with thermal tolerance up to ~1300°C. We report the electric and thermoelectric properties of the ITO nanowires before and after heat treatments and draw conclusions about their applicability as thermoelectric building blocks in nanodevices that can operate in high temperature conditions. The Seebeck coefficient and the thermal and electrical conductivities were measured in each individual nanowire by means of specialized micro-bridge thermometry devices. Measured data was analyzed and explained in terms of changes in charge carrier density, impurities and vacancies due to the thermal treatments. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

The Mechanical Properties of Nanowires

PubMed Central

Wang, Shiliang; Shan, Zhiwei

2017-01-01

Applications of nanowires into future generation nanodevices require a complete understanding of the mechanical properties of the nanowires. A great research effort has been made in the past two decades to understand the deformation physics and mechanical behaviors of nanowires, and to interpret the discrepancies between experimental measurements and theoretical predictions. This review focused on the characterization and understanding of the mechanical properties of nanowires, including elasticity, plasticity, anelasticity and strength. As the results from the previous literature in this area appear inconsistent, a critical evaluation of the characterization techniques and methodologies were presented. In particular, the size effects of nanowires on the mechanical properties and their deformation mechanisms were discussed. PMID:28435775

Nano/Micro and Spectroscopic Approaches to Food Pathogen Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Il-Hoon; Radadia, Adarsh D.; Farrokhzad, Khashayar; Ximenes, Eduardo; Bae, Euiwon; Singh, Atul K.; Oliver, Haley; Ladisch, Michael; Bhunia, Arun; Applegate, Bruce; Mauer, Lisa; Bashir, Rashid; Irudayaraj, Joseph

2014-06-01

Despite continuing research efforts, timely and simple pathogen detection with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity remains an elusive goal. Given the recent explosion of sensor technologies, significant strides have been made in addressing the various nuances of this important global challenge that affects not only the food industry but also human health. In this review, we provide a summary of the various ongoing efforts in pathogen detection and sample preparation in areas related to Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy, light scattering, phage display, micro/nanodevices, and nanoparticle biosensors. We also discuss the advantages and potential limitations of the detection methods and suggest next steps for further consideration.

Excellent electrical conductivity of the exfoliated and fluorinated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets.

PubMed

Xue, Yafang; Liu, Qian; He, Guanjie; Xu, Kaibing; Jiang, Lin; Hu, Xianghua; Hu, Junqing

2013-01-24

The insulator characteristic of hexagonal boron nitride limits its applications in microelectronics. In this paper, the fluorinated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets were prepared by doping fluorine into the boron nitride nanosheets exfoliated from the bulk boron nitride in isopropanol via a facile chemical solution method with fluoboric acid; interestingly, these boron nitride nanosheets demonstrate a typical semiconductor characteristic which were studied on a new scanning tunneling microscope-transmission electron microscope holder. Since this property changes from an insulator to a semiconductor of the boron nitride, these nanosheets will be able to extend their applications in designing and fabricating electronic nanodevices.

Strain-induced negative differential resistance in ultrasmall carbon nanotube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Hui; Zhang, Fei-Peng; Ruan, Xing-Xiang; Huang, Can-Sheng; Jiang, Zhi-Nian; Peng, Jin-Yun; Wang, Ru-Zhi

2017-08-01

The transport properties in ultrasmall single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) under tensile strain have been theoretically investigated. The regular negative differential resistance (NDR) induced by the strain undergoes a process from enhancement to weakening in the zigzag (3,0) SWCNT. The NDR achieves maximum with applying 4% tensile strain. Compared to the case of (3,0) SWCNT, that NDR cannot be manipulated by applying strain clearly in (4,0) and (5,0) ultrasmall SWCNTs with tensile strain lower than 10%. It proposes this strain-induced NDR effect to demonstrate the possibility of finding potential applications in SWCNT-based NDR nanodevices such as in memory devices, oscillators and fast switching devices.

Large-Scale Fabrication of Carbon Nanotube Probe Tips For Atomic Force Microscopy Critical Dimension Imaging Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ye, Qi Laura; Cassell, Alan M.; Stevens, Ramsey M.; Meyyappan, Meyya; Li, Jun; Han, Jie; Liu, Hongbing; Chao, Gordon

2004-01-01

Carbon nanotube (CNT) probe tips for atomic force microscopy (AFM) offer several advantages over Si/Si3N4 probe tips, including improved resolution, shape, and mechanical properties. This viewgraph presentation discusses these advantages, and the drawbacks of existing methods for fabricating CNT probe tips for AFM. The presentation introduces a bottom up wafer scale fabrication method for CNT probe tips which integrates catalyst nanopatterning and nanomaterials synthesis with traditional silicon cantilever microfabrication technology. This method makes mass production of CNT AFM probe tips feasible, and can be applied to the fabrication of other nanodevices with CNT elements.

Focused electron beam induced deposition of pure SIO II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perentes, Alexandre; Hoffmann, Patrik; Munnik, Frans

2007-02-01

Focused electron beam induced processing (FEBID) equipments are the "all in one" tools for high resolution investigation, and modification of nano-devices. Focused electron beam induced deposition from a gaseous precursor usually results in a nano-composite sub-structured material, in which the interesting material is embedded in an amorphous carbonaceous matrix. Using the Hydrogen free tetraisocyanatosilane Si(NCO) 4 molecule as Si source, we show how a controlled oxygen flux, simultaneously injected with the precursor vapors, causes contaminants to vanish from the FEB deposits obtained and leads to the deposition of pure SiO II. The chemical composition of the FEBID material could be controlled from SiC IINO 3 to SiO II, the latter containing undetectable foreign element contamination. The [O II] / [TICS] ratio needed to obtain SiO II in our FEB deposition equipment is larger than 300. The evolution of the FEBID material chemical composition is presented as function of the [O II] / [TICS] molecular flux ratios. A hypothetical decomposition pathway of this silane under these conditions is discussed based on the different species formed under electron bombardment of TICS. Transmission electron microscopy investigations demonstrated that the deposited oxide is smooth (roughness sub 2nm) and amorphous. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed the low concentration of hydroxyl groups. The Hydrogen content of the deposited oxide, measured by elastic recoil detection analysis, is as low as 1 at%. 193nm wavelength AIMS investigations of 125nm thick SiO II pads (obtained with [O II] / [TICS] = 325) showed an undetectable light absorption.

Bioinspired Omnidirectional Self-Stable Reflectors with Multiscale Hierarchical Structures.

PubMed

Han, Zhiwu; Mu, Zhengzhi; Li, Bo; Feng, Xiaoming; Wang, Ze; Zhang, Junqiu; Niu, Shichao; Ren, Luquan

2017-08-30

Structured surfaces, demonstrating various wondrous physicochemical performances, are ubiquitous phenomena in nature. Butterfly wings with impressive structural colors are an interesting example for multiscale hierarchical structures (MHSs). However, most natural structural colors are relatively unstable and highly sensitive to incident angles, which limit their potential practical applications to a certain extent. Here, we reported a bioinspired color reflector with omnidirectional reflective self-stable (ORS) properties, which is inspired by the wing scales of Papilio palinurus butterfly. Through experimental exploration and theoretical analysis, it was found that the vivid colors of such butterfly wings are structure-based and possess novel ORS properties, which attributes to the multiple optical actions between light and the complex structures coupling the inverse opal-like structures (IOSs) and stacked lamellar ridges (SLRs). On the basis of this, we designed and successfully fabricated the SiO 2 -based bioinspired color reflectors (BCRs) through a facile and effective biotemplate method. It was confirmed that the MHSs in biotemplate are inherited by the obtained SiO 2 -based BCRs. More importantly, the SiO 2 -based BCRs also demonstrated the similar ORS properties in a wide wavelength range. We forcefully anticipate that the reported MHS-based ORS performance discovered in butterfly wing scales here could offer new thoughts for scientists to solve unstable reflection issues in particular optical field. The involved biotemplate fabrication method offers a facile and effective strategy for fabricating functional nanomaterials or bioinspired nanodevices with 3D complex nanostructures, such as structured optical devices, displays, and optoelectronic equipment.

Single-step synthesis and magnetic separation of graphene and carbon nanotubes in arc discharge plasmas.

PubMed

Volotskova, O; Levchenko, I; Shashurin, A; Raitses, Y; Ostrikov, K; Keidar, M

2010-10-01

The unique properties of graphene and carbon nanotubes made them the most promising nanomaterials attracting enormous attention, due to the prospects for applications in various nanodevices, from nanoelectronics to sensors and energy conversion devices. Here we report on a novel deterministic, single-step approach to simultaneous production and magnetic separation of graphene flakes and carbon nanotubes in an arc discharge by splitting the high-temperature growth and low-temperature separation zones using a non-uniform magnetic field and tailor-designed catalyst alloy, and depositing nanotubes and graphene in different areas. Our results are very relevant to the development of commercially-viable, single-step production of bulk amounts of high-quality graphene.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terrones, Mauricio

2003-08-01

This account reviews the discovery, synthesis, properties, and the latest research advances of carbon nanotubes developed over the past 12 years. Because of their remarkable electronic and mechanical properties, carbon nanotubes are unique and exciting. The field has been developed rapidly, and the number of publications per year is increasing almost exponentially. Various technological applications are likely to arise using nanotubes for fabrication of flat panel displays, gas storage devices, toxic gas sensors, Li+ batteries, robust and lightweight composites, conducting paints, electronic nanodevices, etc. Further experimental and theoretical research is still necessary so that novel technologies will become a reality in the early twenty-first century.

Morphology evolution of hierarchical ZnO nanostructures modulated by supersaturation and growth temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Youguo; Zhou, Lixia; Yu, Lianqing; Zhang, Ye

2008-07-01

Three kinds of ZnO hierarchical structures, nanocombs with tube- and needle-shaped teeth and hierarchical nanorod arrays, were successfully synthesized through the chemical vapor deposition method. Combining the experimental parameters, the microcosmic growing conditions (growth temperature and supersaturation) along the flux was discussed at length, and, based on the conclusions, three reasonable growth processes were proposed. The results and discussions were beneficial to further realize the relation between the growing behavior of the nanomaterial and microcosmic conditions, and the hierarchical nanostructures obtained were also expected to have potential applications as functional blocks in future nanodevices. Furthermore, the study of photoluminescence further indicated that the physical properties were strongly dependent on the crystal structure.

Measurement of the surface charge accumulation using anodic aluminum oxide(AAO) structure in an inductively coupled plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Ji-Hwan; Oh, Seung-Ju; Lee, Hyo-Chang; Kim, Yu-Sin; Kim, Young-Cheol; Kim, June Young; Ha, Chang-Seoung; Kwon, Soon-Ho; Lee, Jung-Joong; Chung, Chin-Wook

2014-10-01

As the critical dimension of the nano-device shrinks, an undesired etch profile occurs during plasma etch process. One of the reasons is the local electric field due to the surface charge accumulation. To demonstrate the surface charge accumulation, an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane which has high aspect ratio is used. The potential difference between top electrode and bottom electrode in an anodic aluminum oxide contact structure is measured during inductively coupled plasma exposure. The voltage difference is changed with external discharge conditions, such as gas pressure, input power, and gas species and the result is analyzed with the measured plasma parameters.

Balanced double-loop mesoscopic interferometer based on Josephson proximity nanojunctions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ronzani, Alberto, E-mail: alberto.ronzani@nano.cnr.it; Altimiras, Carles; Giazotto, Francesco

We report on the fabrication and characterization of a two-terminal mesoscopic interferometer based on three V/Cu/V Josephson junctions having nanoscale cross-section. The junctions have been arranged in a double-ring geometry realized by metallic thin film deposition through a suspended mask defined by electron beam lithography. Although a significant amount of asymmetry between the critical current of each junction is observed, we show that the interferometer is able to suppress the supercurrent to a level lower than 6 parts per thousand, being here limited by measurement resolution. The present nano-device is suitable for low-temperature magnetometric and gradiometric measurements over the micrometricmore » scale.« less

Direct-current nanogenerator driven by ultrasonic waves.

PubMed

Wang, Xudong; Song, Jinhui; Liu, Jin; Wang, Zhong Lin

2007-04-06

We have developed a nanowire nanogenerator that is driven by an ultrasonic wave to produce continuous direct-current output. The nanogenerator was fabricated with vertically aligned zinc oxide nanowire arrays that were placed beneath a zigzag metal electrode with a small gap. The wave drives the electrode up and down to bend and/or vibrate the nanowires. A piezoelectric-semiconducting coupling process converts mechanical energy into electricity. The zigzag electrode acts as an array of parallel integrated metal tips that simultaneously and continuously create, collect, and output electricity from all of the nanowires. The approach presents an adaptable, mobile, and cost-effective technology for harvesting energy from the environment, and it offers a potential solution for powering nanodevices and nanosystems.

Bioinspired superhydrophobic, self-cleaning and low drag surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhushan, Bharat

2013-09-01

Nature has evolved objects with desired functionality using commonly found materials. Nature capitalizes on hierarchical structures to achieve functionality. The understanding of the functions provided by objects and processes found in nature can guide us to produce nanomaterials, nanodevices, and processes with desirable functionality. This article provides an overview of four topics: (1) Lotus Effect used to develop superhydrophobic and self-cleaning/antifouling surfaces with low adhesion, (2) Shark Skin Effect to develop surfaces with low fluid drag and anti-fouling characteristics, and (3-4) Rice Leaf and Butterfly Wing Effect to develop superhydrophobic and self-cleaning surfaces with low drag. Rice Leaf and Butterfly Wings combine the Shark Skin and Lotus Effects.

Nanoimprint lithography for nanodevice fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barcelo, Steven; Li, Zhiyong

2016-09-01

Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a compelling technique for low cost nanoscale device fabrication. The precise and repeatable replication of nanoscale patterns from a single high resolution patterning step makes the NIL technique much more versatile than other expensive techniques such as e-beam or even helium ion beam lithography. Furthermore, the use of mechanical deformation during the NIL process enables grayscale lithography with only a single patterning step, not achievable with any other conventional lithography techniques. These strengths enable the fabrication of unique nanoscale devices by NIL for a variety of applications including optics, plasmonics and even biotechnology. Recent advances in throughput and yield in NIL processes demonstrate the potential of being adopted for mainstream semiconductor device fabrication as well.

In Silico Modeling of Indigo and Tyrian Purple Single-Electron Nano-Transistors Using Density Functional Theory Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shityakov, Sergey; Roewer, Norbert; Förster, Carola; Broscheit, Jens-Albert

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and implement an in silico model of indigoid-based single-electron transistor (SET) nanodevices, which consist of indigoid molecules from natural dye weakly coupled to gold electrodes that function in a Coulomb blockade regime. The electronic properties of the indigoid molecules were investigated using the optimized density-functional theory (DFT) with a continuum model. Higher electron transport characteristics were determined for Tyrian purple, consistent with experimentally derived data. Overall, these results can be used to correctly predict and emphasize the electron transport functions of organic SETs, demonstrating their potential for sustainable nanoelectronics comprising the biodegradable and biocompatible materials.

Template-etching route to construct uniform rattle-type Fe3O4@SiO2 hollow microspheres as drug carrier.

PubMed

Cheng, Lin; Liu, Yuanyuan; Zou, Bingfang; Yu, Yong; Ruan, Weimin; Wang, Yongqiang

2017-06-01

Template-etching strategy was put forward to synthesize rattle-type magnetic silica (Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 ) hollow microspheres in a controlled way. During the experiment, monodisperse Fe 2 O 3 microspheres were fabricated as physical template to generate uniform Fe 2 O 3 @SiO 2 with controlled shell thicknesses through sol-gel method, and the subsequent Fe 2 O 3 template etching process created variable space between Fe 2 O 3 core and SiO 2 shell, and the final calcination process transformed rattle-type Fe 2 O 3 @SiO 2 hollow microspheres into corresponding Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 product in hydrogen/nitrogen atmosphere. Compared with traditional physical template, here template-etching synthesis of rattle-type hollow microspheres saved the insertion of middle shells and their removal, which simplified the synthesis process with controllable core size and shell thickness. The rattle-type Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 hollow microspheres as drug carrier show efficient doxorubicin (DOX) loading, and the release rate of DOX loaded the rattle-type Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 hollow microspheres exhibit a surprising shell-thickness-dependent and a pH responsive drug release features. Additionally, MTT assays in HeLa cells demonstrated that the Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 nanocarriers were non-toxic even at the concentration of 250µgmL -1 for 48h. Thus, our results revealed that the Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 -DOX could play an important role in the development of intracellular delivery nanodevices for cancer therapy. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Theoretical Analysis of Photoelectron Spectra of Pure and Mixed Metal Clusters: Disentangling Size, Structure, and Composition Effects

DOE PAGES

Acioli, Paulo H.; Jellinek, Julius

2017-07-14

A theoretical/computational description and analysis of the spectra of electron binding energies of Al 12 -, Al 13 - and Al 12Ni- clusters, which differ in size and/or composition by a single atom yet possess strikingly different measured photoelectron spectra, is presented. It is shown that the measured spectra can not only be reproduced computationally with quantitative fidelity – this is achieved through a combination of state-of-the-art density functional theory with a highly accurate scheme for conversion of the Kohn-Sham eigenenergies into electron binding energies – but also explained in terms of the effects of size, structure/symmetry and composition. Furthermore,more » a new methodology is developed and applied that provides for disentanglement and differential assignment of the separate roles played by size, structure/symmetry and composition in defining the observed differences in the measured spectra. The methodology is general and applicable to any finite system, homogeneous or heterogeneous. Finally, we project that in combination with advances in synthesis techniques this methodology will become an indispensable computation-based aid in the design of controlled synthesis protocols for manufacture of nanosystems and nanodevices with precisely desired electronic and other characteristics.« less

Sub-nm-scale precision stage using nonresonant-ultrasonic motor for making of nanodevices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soh, Y.; Kosaka, K.; Kubota, H.

2011-12-01

This paper is focused on piezoelectric actuator for precision stage system which has nano-scale resolution. Nanometer order positioning techniques are necessary for semiconductor manufacturing and its inspection. For these demands, we propose the nonresonant-ultrasonic motor(NRUSM) as driving source of positioning stage. One can use as the stage driving device in a SEM chamber, because NRUSM is non-magnetic device. In addition NRUSM is able to be made compact, can be equipped at various miniature tools, for instance, manipulation, pumping, probing systems, having nano scale resolution. NRUSM is also adopted to Reticle Free Exposure system which can make the flexible patterning by fine displacing of mask patterns. NRUSM's weak point is the occurrence of a wear because of friction caused by the ultrasonic motor. However this wear can be cut down by reducing the slipping. A previously proven effective solution, by which the driving keeps in the range of static friction without the slipping, results in long life time, high-durability and decrease of particles. We propose two solutions to reduce the slipping: driving method and change of structure. The former is control method using variable frequency instead of constant frequency. The latter is increase of friction tips because static frictional force is proportional to number of the tips.

ZnO nanorods for electronic and photonic device applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Gyu-Chul; Yoo, Jinkyoung; Park, Won Il; Jung, Sug Woo; An, Sung Jin; Kim, H. J.; Kim, D. W.

2005-11-01

We report on catalyst-free growth of ZnO nanorods and their nano-scale electrical and optical device applications. Catalyst-free metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE) enables fabrication of size-controlled high purity ZnO single crystal nanorods. Various high quality nanorod heterostructures and quantum structures based on ZnO nanorods were also prepared using the MOVPE method and characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and optical spectroscopy. From the photoluminescence spectra of ZnO/Zn 0.8Mg 0.2O nanorod multi-quantum-well structures, in particular, we observed a systematic blue-shift in their PL peak position due to quantum confinement effect of carriers in nanorod quantum structures. For ZnO/ZnMgO coaxial nanorod heterostructures, photoluminescence intensity was significantly increased presumably due to surface passivation and carrier confinement. In addition to the growth and characterizations of ZnO nanorods and their quantum structures, we fabricated nanoscale electronic devices based on ZnO nanorods. We report on fabrication and device characteristics of metal-oxidesemiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), Schottky diodes, and metal-semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFETs) as examples of the nanodevices. In addition, electroluminescent devices were fabricated using vertically aligned ZnO nanorods grown p-type GaN substrates, exhibiting strong visible electroluminescence.

Large-Scale Molecular Simulations on the Mechanical Response and Failure Behavior of a defective Graphene: Cases of 5-8-5 Defects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shuaiwei; Yang, Baocheng; Yuan, Jinyun; Si, Yubing; Chen, Houyang

2015-10-01

Understanding the effect of defects on mechanical responses and failure behaviors of a graphene membrane is important for its applications. As examples, in this paper, a family of graphene with various 5-8-5 defects are designed and their mechanical responses are investigated by employing molecular dynamics simulations. The dependence of fracture strength and strain as well as Young’s moduli on the nearest neighbor distance and defect types is examined. By introducing the 5-8-5 defects into graphene, the fracture strength and strain become smaller. However, the Young’s moduli of DL (Linear arrangement of repeat unit 5-8-5 defect along zigzag-direction of graphene), DS (a Slope angle between repeat unit 5-8-5 defect and zigzag direction of graphene) and DZ (Zigzag-like 5-8-5 defects) defects in the zigzag direction become larger than those in the pristine graphene in the same direction. A maximum increase of 11.8% of Young’s modulus is obtained. Furthermore, the brittle cracking mechanism is proposed for the graphene with 5-8-5 defects. The present work may provide insights in controlling the mechanical properties by preparing defects in the graphene, and give a full picture for the applications of graphene with defects in flexible electronics and nanodevices.

From GaN to ZnGa(2)O(4) through a low-temperature process: nanotube and heterostructure arrays.

PubMed

Lu, Ming-Yen; Zhou, Xiang; Chiu, Cheng-Yao; Crawford, Samuel; Gradečak, Silvija

2014-01-22

We demonstrate a method to synthesize GaN-ZnGa2O4 core-shell nanowire and ZnGa2O4 nanotube arrays by a low-temperature hydrothermal process using GaN nanowires as templates. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that a ZnGa2O4 shell forms on the surface of GaN nanowires and that the shell thickness is controlled by the time of the hydrothermal process and thus the concentration of Zn ions in the solution. Furthermore, ZnGa2O4 nanotube arrays were obtained by depleting the GaN core from GaN-ZnGa2O4 core-shell nanowire arrays during the reaction and subsequent etching with HCl. The GaN-ZnGa2O4 core-shell nanowires exhibit photoluminescence peaks centered at 2.60 and 2.90 eV attributed to the ZnGa2O4 shell, as well as peaks centered at 3.35 and 3.50 eV corresponding to the GaN core. We also demonstrate the synthesis of GaN-ZnGa2O4 heterojunction nanowires by a selective formation process as a simple route toward development of heterojunction nanodevices for optoelectronic applications.

Computer-Aided Design of RNA Origami Structures.

PubMed

Sparvath, Steffen L; Geary, Cody W; Andersen, Ebbe S

2017-01-01

RNA nanostructures can be used as scaffolds to organize, combine, and control molecular functionalities, with great potential for applications in nanomedicine and synthetic biology. The single-stranded RNA origami method allows RNA nanostructures to be folded as they are transcribed by the RNA polymerase. RNA origami structures provide a stable framework that can be decorated with functional RNA elements such as riboswitches, ribozymes, interaction sites, and aptamers for binding small molecules or protein targets. The rich library of RNA structural and functional elements combined with the possibility to attach proteins through aptamer-based binding creates virtually limitless possibilities for constructing advanced RNA-based nanodevices.In this chapter we provide a detailed protocol for the single-stranded RNA origami design method using a simple 2-helix tall structure as an example. The first step involves 3D modeling of a double-crossover between two RNA double helices, followed by decoration with tertiary motifs. The second step deals with the construction of a 2D blueprint describing the secondary structure and sequence constraints that serves as the input for computer programs. In the third step, computer programs are used to design RNA sequences that are compatible with the structure, and the resulting outputs are evaluated and converted into DNA sequences to order.

Current at domain walls, roughly speaking: nanoscales studies of disorder roughening and conduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paruch, Patrycja

2013-03-01

Domain walls in (multi)ferroic materials are the thin elastic interfaces separating regions with different orientations of magnetisation, electric polarisation, or spontaneous strain. Understanding their behaviour, and controlling domain size and stability, is key for their integration into applications, while fundamentally, domain walls provide an excellent model system in which the rich physics of disordered elastic interfaces can be accesses. In addition, domain walls can present novel properties, quite different from those of their parent materials, making them potentially useful as active components in future nano-devices. Here, we present our atomic force microscopy studies of ferroelectric domain walls in epitaxial Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 and BiFeO3 thin films, in which we use piezorespose force microscopy to show unusual domain wall roughening behaviour, with very localised disorder regions in the sample leading to a complex, multi-affine scaling of the domain wall shape. We also show the effects of temperature, environmental conditions, and defects on switching dynamics and domain wall roughness. We combine these observations with parallel conductive-tip atomic force microscopy current measurements, which also show highly localised variations in conduction, and highlight the key role played by oxygen vacancies in the observed domain wall conduction.

Theoretical Analysis of Photoelectron Spectra of Pure and Mixed Metal Clusters: Disentangling Size, Structure, and Composition Effects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Acioli, Paulo H.; Jellinek, Julius

A theoretical/computational description and analysis of the spectra of electron binding energies of Al 12 -, Al 13 - and Al 12Ni- clusters, which differ in size and/or composition by a single atom yet possess strikingly different measured photoelectron spectra, is presented. It is shown that the measured spectra can not only be reproduced computationally with quantitative fidelity – this is achieved through a combination of state-of-the-art density functional theory with a highly accurate scheme for conversion of the Kohn-Sham eigenenergies into electron binding energies – but also explained in terms of the effects of size, structure/symmetry and composition. Furthermore,more » a new methodology is developed and applied that provides for disentanglement and differential assignment of the separate roles played by size, structure/symmetry and composition in defining the observed differences in the measured spectra. The methodology is general and applicable to any finite system, homogeneous or heterogeneous. Finally, we project that in combination with advances in synthesis techniques this methodology will become an indispensable computation-based aid in the design of controlled synthesis protocols for manufacture of nanosystems and nanodevices with precisely desired electronic and other characteristics.« less

Dendrimer-based targeted intravitreal therapy for sustained attenuation of neuroinflammation in retinal degeneration.

PubMed

Iezzi, Raymond; Guru, Bharath R; Glybina, Inna V; Mishra, Manoj K; Kennedy, Alexander; Kannan, Rangaramanujam M

2012-01-01

Retinal neuroinflammation, mediated by activated microglia, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelial cell loss in age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. Targeted drug therapy for attenuation of neuroinflammation in the retina was explored using hydroxyl-terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer-drug conjugate nanodevices. We show that, upon intravitreal administration, PAMAM dendrimers selectively localize within activated outer retinal microglia in two rat models of retinal degeneration, but not in the retina of healthy controls. This pathology-dependent biodistribution was exploited for drug delivery, by covalently conjugating fluocinolone acetonide to the dendrimer. The conjugate released the drug in a sustained manner over 90 days. In vivo efficacy was assessed using the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat retinal degeneration model over a four-week period when peak retinal degeneration occurs. One intravitreal injection of 1 μg of FA conjugated to 7 μg of the dendrimer was able to arrest retinal degeneration, preserve photoreceptor outer nuclear cell counts, and attenuate activated microglia, for an entire month. These studies suggest that PAMAM dendrimers (with no targeting ligands) have an intrinsic ability to selectively localize in activated microglia, and can deliver drugs inside these cells for a sustained period for the treatment of retinal neuroinflammation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-powered heat-resistant polymeric 1D nanowires and 3D micro/nanowire assemblies in a pressure-crystallized size-distributed graphene oxide/poly (vinylidene fluoride) composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Pengfei; Lyu, Jun; Huang, Rui; Zhang, Chaoliang

2017-12-01

Piezoelectric one- (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) hybrid micro/nanostructured materials have received intense research interest because of their ability in capturing trace amounts of energy and transforming it into electrical energy. In this work, a size-distributed graphene oxide (GO) was utilized for the concurrent growth of both the 1D nanowires and 3D micro/nanowire architectures of poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) with piezoelectricity. The in situ formation of the polymeric micro/nanostructures, with crystalline beta phase, was achieved by the high-pressure crystallization of a well dispersed GO/PVDF composite, fabricated by an environmentally friendly physical approach. Particularly, by controlling the crystallization conditions of the binary composite at high pressure, the melting point of the polymeric micro/nanowires, which further constructed the 3D micro/nanoarchitectures, was nearly 30°C higher than that of the original PVDF. The large scale simultaneous formation of the 1D and 3D micro/nanostructures was attributed to a size-dependent catalysis of the GOs in the pressure-treated composite system. The as-fabricated heat-resistant hybrid micro/nanoarchitectures, consisting of GOs and piezoelectric PVDF micro/nanowires, may permit niche applications in self-powered micro/nanodevices for energy scavenging from their working environments.

Structural Investigation of Biological and Semiconductor Nanostructures with Nonlinear Multicontrast Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cisek, Richard

Physical and functional properties of advanced nano-composite materials and biological structures are determined by self-organized atoms and molecules into nanostructures and in turn by microscopic organization of the nanostructures into assemblies of higher structural complexity. Therefore, microscopes are indispensable tools for structural investigations at various levels of organization. In this work, novel nonlinear optical microscopy methods were developed to non-invasively study structural organization at the nanoscopic and microscopic levels. Atomic organization of semiconductor nanowires, molecular organization of amylose biocrystallites in starch granules, and microscopic organization of several photosynthetic organisms was elucidated. The structure of ZnSe nanowires, key components in many modern nanodevices, was investigated using polarization harmonic generation microscopy. Based on nonlinear optical properties of the different crystal lattices, zinc blende and wurtzite nanowires were differentiated, and the three-dimensional orientation of the zinc blende nanowires could be found. The structure of starch granules, a model biocrystal, important in food as well as health sciences, was also investigated using polarization harmonic microscopy. The study was combined with ab initio calculations using the crystal structures of amylose A and B, revealing that second harmonic signals originate from the hydroxide and hydrogen bonds in the starch granules. Visualization of several photosynthetic organisms including the green algae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, two species of cyanobacteria, Leptolyngbya sp. and Anabaena sp., aggregates of light-harvesting pigment-protein complexes as well as chloroplasts from green plants were also explored, revealing that future nonlinear microscopy applications could include structural studies of cell walls, the Chlamydomonas eyespot, and photosynthetic membranes. In this study, several nonlinear optical microscopy modalities were developed for quantitative structural investigations of nano and micro-sized architectures. Non-invasive extraction of crystallographic information in microscopic samples will have a number of potential benefits, for example, in clinical applications, allowing observations of disease states inside tissues without the need for biopsy. Industrial nanotechnology will benefit from fast determination of nanostructures with nonlinear microscopy that will improve quality of nanodevices.

Paving the way to nanoionics: atomic origin of barriers for ionic transport through interfaces.

PubMed

Frechero, M A; Rocci, M; Sánchez-Santolino, G; Kumar, Amit; Salafranca, J; Schmidt, Rainer; Díaz-Guillén, M R; Durá, O J; Rivera-Calzada, A; Mishra, R; Jesse, Stephen; Pantelides, S T; Kalinin, Sergei V; Varela, M; Pennycook, S J; Santamaria, J; Leon, C

2015-12-17

The blocking of ion transport at interfaces strongly limits the performance of electrochemical nanodevices for energy applications. The barrier is believed to arise from space-charge regions generated by mobile ions by analogy to semiconductor junctions. Here we show that something different is at play by studying ion transport in a bicrystal of yttria (9% mol) stabilized zirconia (YSZ), an emblematic oxide ion conductor. Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) provides structure and composition at atomic resolution, with the sensitivity to directly reveal the oxygen ion profile. We find that Y segregates to the grain boundary at Zr sites, together with a depletion of oxygen that is confined to a small length scale of around 0.5 nm. Contrary to the main thesis of the space-charge model, there exists no evidence of a long-range O vacancy depletion layer. Combining ion transport measurements across a single grain boundary by nanoscale electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM), broadband dielectric spectroscopy measurements, and density functional calculations, we show that grain-boundary-induced electronic states act as acceptors, resulting in a negatively charged core. Besides the possible effect of the modified chemical bonding, this negative charge gives rise to an additional barrier for ion transport at the grain boundary.

Application of modelling and nanotechnology-based approaches: The emergence of breakthroughs in theranostics of central nervous system disorders.

PubMed

Hassanzadeh, Parichehr; Atyabi, Fatemeh; Dinarvand, Rassoul

2017-08-01

The limited efficiency of the current treatment options against the central nervous system (CNS) disorders has created increasing demands towards the development of novel theranostic strategies. The enormous research efforts in nanotechnology have led to the production of highly-advanced nanodevices and biomaterials in a variety of geometries and configurations for targeted delivery of genes, drugs, or growth factors across the blood-brain barrier. Meanwhile, the richness or reliability of data, drug delivery methods, therapeutic effects or potential toxicity of nanoparticles, occurrence of the unexpected phenomena due to the polydisperse or polymorphic nature of nanomaterials, and personalized theranostics have remained as challenging issues. In this respect, computational modelling has emerged as a powerful tool for rational design of nanoparticles with optimized characteristics including the selectivity, improved bioactivity, and reduced toxicity that might lead to the effective delivery of therapeutic agents. High-performance simulation techniques by shedding more light on the dynamical behaviour of neural networks and pathomechanisms of CNS disorders may provide imminent breakthroughs in nanomedicine. In the present review, the importance of integration of nanotechnology-based approaches with computational techniques for targeted delivery of theranostics to the CNS has been highlighted. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Intelligent layered nanoflare: "lab-on-a-nanoparticle" for multiple DNA logic gate operations and efficient intracellular delivery.

PubMed

Yang, Bin; Zhang, Xiao-Bing; Kang, Li-Ping; Huang, Zhi-Mei; Shen, Guo-Li; Yu, Ru-Qin; Tan, Weihong

2014-08-07

DNA strand displacement cascades have been engineered to construct various fascinating DNA circuits. However, biological applications are limited by the insufficient cellular internalization of naked DNA structures, as well as the separated multicomponent feature. In this work, these problems are addressed by the development of a novel DNA nanodevice, termed intelligent layered nanoflare, which integrates DNA computing at the nanoscale, via the self-assembly of DNA flares on a single gold nanoparticle. As a "lab-on-a-nanoparticle", the intelligent layered nanoflare could be engineered to perform a variety of Boolean logic gate operations, including three basic logic gates, one three-input AND gate, and two complex logic operations, in a digital non-leaky way. In addition, the layered nanoflare can serve as a programmable strategy to sequentially tune the size of nanoparticles, as well as a new fingerprint spectrum technique for intelligent multiplex biosensing. More importantly, the nanoflare developed here can also act as a single entity for intracellular DNA logic gate delivery, without the need of commercial transfection agents or other auxiliary carriers. By incorporating DNA circuits on nanoparticles, the presented layered nanoflare will broaden the applications of DNA circuits in biological systems, and facilitate the development of DNA nanotechnology.

Paving the way to nanoionics: Atomic origin of barriers for ionic transport through interfaces

DOE PAGES

Frechero, M. A.; Rocci, M.; Sanchez-Santolino, G.; ...

2015-12-17

The blocking of ion transport at interfaces strongly limits the performance of electrochemical nanodevices for energy applications. The barrier is believed to arise from space-charge regions generated by mobile ions by analogy to semiconductor junctions. Here we show that something different is at play by studying ion transport in a bicrystal of yttria (9% mol) stabilized zirconia (YSZ), an emblematic oxide ion conductor. Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) provides structure and composition at atomic resolution, with the sensitivity to directly reveal the oxygen ion profile. We find that Y segregates to the grain boundary at Zr sites, together withmore » a depletion of oxygen that is confined to a small length scale of around 0.5 nm. Contrary to the main thesis of the space-charge model, there exists no evidence of a long-range O vacancy depletion layer. Combining ion transport measurements across a single grain boundary by nanoscale electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM), broadband dielectric spectroscopy measurements, and density functional calculations, we show that grain-boundary-induced electronic states act as acceptors, resulting in a negatively charged core. In conclusion, besides the possible effect of the modified chemical bonding, this negative charge gives rise to an additional barrier for ion transport at the grain boundary.« less

3D Bi2S3/TiO2 cross-linked heterostructure: An efficient strategy to improve charge transport and separation for high photoelectrochemical performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Minmin; Jia, Junhong

2016-10-01

A novel 3D cross-linked heterostructure of TiO2 nanorods connecting with each other via ultrathin Bi2S3 nanosheets is constructed by a facile and effective strategy. The growth mechanism has been investigated and proposed based on the evolution of microstructure by changing the reaction parameters. Benefiting from the unique cross-linked heterostructure, the as-prepared Bi2S3 nanosheets modified TiO2 nanorods arrays could achieve a high energy conversion efficiency of 3.29% which is the highest value to date for Bi2S3-only sensitized solar cells as the reported highest value is 2.23% and other reported values are less than 1%. Furthermore, the photoelectrochemical studies clearly reveal that the novel cross-linked heterostructure exhibits much better activity than 0D nanoparticles decorated TiO2 nanorods under visible light irradiation, which may be primarily ascribed to the efficient electron transfer from 2D ultrathin Bi2S3 nanosheets to 1D TiO2 nanorod arrays. The promising results in this work confirm the advantages of cross-linked heterostructure and also undoubtedly offer an attractive synthesis strategy to fabricate other nanorod-based hierarchical architecture as well as nano-devices for solar energy conversion.

George E. Pake Prize Lecture: CMOS Technology Roadmap: Is Scaling Ending?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Tze-Chiang (T. C.)

The development of silicon technology has been based on the principle of physics and driven by the system needs. Traditionally, the system needs have been satisfied by the increase in transistor density and performance, as suggested by Moore's Law and guided by ''Dennard CMOS scaling theory''. As the silicon industry moves towards the 14nm node and beyond, three of the most important challenges facing Moore's Law and continued CMOS scaling are the growing standby power dissipation, the increasing variability in device characteristics and the ever increasing manufacturing cost. Actually, the first two factors are the embodiments of CMOS approaching atomistic and quantum-mechanical physics boundaries. Industry directions for addressing these challenges are also developing along three primary approaches: Extending silicon scaling through innovations in materials and device structure, expanding the level of integration through three-dimensional structures comprised of through-silicon-vias holes and chip stacking in order to enhance functionality and parallelism and exploring post-silicon CMOS innovation with new nano-devices based on distinctly different principles of physics, new materials and new processes such as spintronics, carbon nanotubes and nanowires. Hence, the infusion of new materials, innovative integration and novel device structures will continue to extend CMOS technology scaling for at least another decade.

Prospects and applications of nanobiotechnology: a medical perspective.

PubMed

Fakruddin, Md; Hossain, Zakir; Afroz, Hafsa

2012-07-20

Nanobiotechnology is the application of nanotechnology in biological fields. Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that currently recruits approach, technology and facility available in conventional as well as advanced avenues of engineering, physics, chemistry and biology. A comprehensive review of the literature on the principles, limitations, challenges, improvements and applications of nanotechnology in medical science was performed. Nanobiotechnology has multitude of potentials for advancing medical science thereby improving health care practices around the world. Many novel nanoparticles and nanodevices are expected to be used, with an enormous positive impact on human health. While true clinical applications of nanotechnology are still practically inexistent, a significant number of promising medical projects are in an advanced experimental stage. Implementation of nanotechnology in medicine and physiology means that mechanisms and devices are so technically designed that they can interact with sub-cellular (i.e. molecular) levels of the body with a high degree of specificity. Thus therapeutic efficacy can be achieved to maximum with minimal side effects by means of the targeted cell or tissue-specific clinical intervention. More detailed research and careful clinical trials are still required to introduce diverse components of nanobiotechnology in random clinical applications with success. Ethical and moral concerns also need to be addressed in parallel with the new developments.

Prospects and applications of nanobiotechnology: a medical perspective

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Nanobiotechnology is the application of nanotechnology in biological fields. Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that currently recruits approach, technology and facility available in conventional as well as advanced avenues of engineering, physics, chemistry and biology. Method A comprehensive review of the literature on the principles, limitations, challenges, improvements and applications of nanotechnology in medical science was performed. Results Nanobiotechnology has multitude of potentials for advancing medical science thereby improving health care practices around the world. Many novel nanoparticles and nanodevices are expected to be used, with an enormous positive impact on human health. While true clinical applications of nanotechnology are still practically inexistent, a significant number of promising medical projects are in an advanced experimental stage. Implementation of nanotechnology in medicine and physiology means that mechanisms and devices are so technically designed that they can interact with sub-cellular (i.e. molecular) levels of the body with a high degree of specificity. Thus therapeutic efficacy can be achieved to maximum with minimal side effects by means of the targeted cell or tissue-specific clinical intervention. Conclusion More detailed research and careful clinical trials are still required to introduce diverse components of nanobiotechnology in random clinical applications with success. Ethical and moral concerns also need to be addressed in parallel with the new developments. PMID:22817658

Artificial intelligence in nanotechnology.

PubMed

Sacha, G M; Varona, P

2013-11-15

During the last decade there has been increasing use of artificial intelligence tools in nanotechnology research. In this paper we review some of these efforts in the context of interpreting scanning probe microscopy, the study of biological nanosystems, the classification of material properties at the nanoscale, theoretical approaches and simulations in nanoscience, and generally in the design of nanodevices. Current trends and future perspectives in the development of nanocomputing hardware that can boost artificial-intelligence-based applications are also discussed. Convergence between artificial intelligence and nanotechnology can shape the path for many technological developments in the field of information sciences that will rely on new computer architectures and data representations, hybrid technologies that use biological entities and nanotechnological devices, bioengineering, neuroscience and a large variety of related disciplines.

Hybrid Nanoparticles for Detection and Treatment of Cancer

PubMed Central

Sailor, Michael J.; Park, Ji-Ho

2012-01-01

There is currently considerable effort to incorporate both diagnostic and therapeutic functions into a single nanoscale system for the more effective treatment of cancer. Nanoparticles have great potential to achieve such dual functions, particularly if more than one type of nanostructure can be incorporated in a nanoassembly—referred to in this review as a hybrid nanoparticle. Here we review recent developments in the synthesis and evaluation of such hybrid nanoparticles based on two design strategies (barge vs. tanker), in which liposomal, micellar, porous silica, polymeric, viral, noble metal, and nanotube systems are incorporated either within (barge) or at the surface of (tanker) a nanoparticle. We highlight the design factors that should be considered to obtain effective nanodevices for cancer detection and treatment. PMID:22610698

Fabrication and photoluminescence properties of graphite fiber/ZnO nanorod core-shell structures.

PubMed

Liu, Xianbin; Du, Hejun; Liu, Bo; Wang, Jianxiong; Sun, Xiao Wei; Sun, Handong

2011-08-01

Graphite fiber/ZnO nanorod core-shell structures were synthesized by thermal evaporation process. The core-shell hybrid architectures were comprised of ZnO nanorods grown on the surface of graphite fiber. In addition, Hollow ZnO hierarchical structure can be obtained by oxidizing the graphite fiber. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) of the as-made graphite fiber/ZnO nanorod structures shows two UV peaks at around 3.274 eV and 3.181 eV. The temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectra demonstrate the two UV emissions are attributed to the intrinsic optical transitions and extrinsic defect-related emissions in ZnO. These hybrid structures may be used as the building block for fabrication of nanodevices.

Graphene Transistor fabricated by Helium Ion Milling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Kaiwen; Zhao, Xiangming; Xu, Xiangfan; Vignesh, Viswanathan; Li, Baowen; Pickard, Daniel; Özyilmaz, Barbaros; Department of Physics, National University of Singapore Team; Department of Electrical; Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore Team; eNanoCore, National University of Singapore Team

2011-03-01

We report the direct patterning of graphene for various nano-device applications. The Helium Ion Microscope (HIM), able to resolve nano-scale features on solid samples with an edge resolution of a mere 0.25 nm, has a number of attributes which make it attractive for the imaging of graphene structures. Even more compelling is the ability to directly modify graphene, through surface sputtering, enabling direct pattern transfer for the fabrication of graphene devices. The integration of the HIM with a vector pattern generator (Nano Pattern Generation System, NPGS), provides the capability to directly pattern graphene into nano-ribbons. We have successfully fabricated sub-100nm graphene nano-ribbon devices on Si/SiO2 substrate. Resistance measurement has been made as a function of temperature.

Perspectives on surface nanobubbles

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xuehua; Lohse, Detlef

2014-01-01

Materials of nanoscale size exhibit properties that macroscopic materials often do not have. The same holds for bubbles on the nanoscale: nanoscale gaseous domains on a solid-liquid interface have surprising properties. These include the shape, the long life time, and even superstability. Such so-called surface nanobubbles may have wide applications. This prospective article covers the basic properties of surface nanobubbles and gives several examples of potential nanobubble applications in nanomaterials and nanodevices. For example, nanobubbles can be used as templates or nanostructures in surface functionalization. The nanobubbles produced in situ in a microfluidic system can even induce an autonomous motion of the nanoparticles on which they form. Their formation also has implications for the fluid transport in narrow channels in which they form. PMID:25379084

Low rank approximation method for efficient Green's function calculation of dissipative quantum transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Lang; He, Yu; Povolotskyi, Michael; Liu, XiaoYan; Klimeck, Gerhard; Kubis, Tillmann

2013-06-01

In this work, the low rank approximation concept is extended to the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method to achieve a very efficient approximated algorithm for coherent and incoherent electron transport. This new method is applied to inelastic transport in various semiconductor nanodevices. Detailed benchmarks with exact NEGF solutions show (1) a very good agreement between approximated and exact NEGF results, (2) a significant reduction of the required memory, and (3) a large reduction of the computational time (a factor of speed up as high as 150 times is observed). A non-recursive solution of the inelastic NEGF transport equations of a 1000 nm long resistor on standard hardware illustrates nicely the capability of this new method.

Fabrication of nanotweezers and their remote actuation by magnetic fields.

PubMed

Iss, Cécile; Ortiz, Guillermo; Truong, Alain; Hou, Yanxia; Livache, Thierry; Calemczuk, Roberto; Sabon, Philippe; Gautier, Eric; Auffret, Stéphane; Buda-Prejbeanu, Liliana D; Strelkov, Nikita; Joisten, Hélène; Dieny, Bernard

2017-03-27

A new kind of nanodevice that acts like tweezers through remote actuation by an external magnetic field is designed. Such device is meant to mechanically grab micrometric objects. The nanotweezers are built by using a top-down approach and are made of two parallelepipedic microelements, at least one of them being magnetic, bound by a flexible nanohinge. The presence of an external magnetic field induces a torque on the magnetic elements that competes with the elastic torque provided by the nanohinge. A model is established in order to evaluate the values of the balanced torques as a function of the tweezers opening angles. The results of the calculations are confronted to the expected values and validate the overall working principle of the magnetic nanotweezers.

Artificial intelligence in nanotechnology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sacha, G. M.; Varona, P.

2013-11-01

During the last decade there has been increasing use of artificial intelligence tools in nanotechnology research. In this paper we review some of these efforts in the context of interpreting scanning probe microscopy, the study of biological nanosystems, the classification of material properties at the nanoscale, theoretical approaches and simulations in nanoscience, and generally in the design of nanodevices. Current trends and future perspectives in the development of nanocomputing hardware that can boost artificial-intelligence-based applications are also discussed. Convergence between artificial intelligence and nanotechnology can shape the path for many technological developments in the field of information sciences that will rely on new computer architectures and data representations, hybrid technologies that use biological entities and nanotechnological devices, bioengineering, neuroscience and a large variety of related disciplines.

A Klein-tunneling transistor with ballistic graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilmart, Quentin; Berrada, Salim; Torrin, David; Nguyen, V. Hung; Fève, Gwendal; Berroir, Jean-Marc; Dollfus, Philippe; Plaçais, Bernard

2014-06-01

Today, the availability of high mobility graphene up to room temperature makes ballistic transport in nanodevices achievable. In particular, p-n-p transistors in the ballistic regime give access to Klein tunneling physics and allow the realization of devices exploiting the optics-like behavior of Dirac Fermions (DFs) as in the Veselago lens or the Fabry-Pérot cavity. Here we propose a Klein tunneling transistor based on the geometrical optics of DFs. We consider the case of a prismatic active region delimited by a triangular gate, where total internal reflection may occur, which leads to the tunable suppression of transistor transmission. We calculate the transmission and the current by means of scattering theory and the finite bias properties using non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) simulation.

Efficient Long-Range Hole Transport Through G-Quadruplexes.

PubMed

Wu, Jingyuan; Meng, Zhenyu; Lu, Yunpeng; Shao, Fangwei

2017-10-09

DNA offers a means of long-range charge transport for biology and electric nanodevices. Here, a series of tetra-stranded G-quadruplexes were assembled within a dendritic DNA architecture to explore oxidative charge transport (hole transport) through the G-quadruplex. Efficient charge transport was achieved over 28 Å upon UV irradiation. Over a longer G-quadruplex bridge, hole transport was escalated to a higher efficiency, which resulted in a higher yield than that of the optimal duplex DNA for charge transport, that is, the adenine tract. Efficient long-range hole transport suggests tetra-stranded G-quadruplexes, instead of an oxidation hotspot, hold better potential as an electron conduit than duplex DNA. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of ZnS nanobowl arrays via colloidal monolayer template

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Two-dimensional Zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanobowl arrays were synthesized via self-assembled monolayer polystyrene sphere template floating on precursor solution surface. A facile approach was proposed to investigate the morphology evolution of nanobowl arrays by post-annealing procedure. Photoluminescence (PL) measurement of as-grown nanoarrays shows that the spectrum mainly includes two parts: a purple emission peak at 382 nm and a broad blue emission band centering at 410 nm with a shoulder around 459 nm, and a blue emission band at 440 nm was obtained after the annealing procedure. ZnS nanoarrays with special morphologies and PL emission are benefits to their promising application in novel photoluminescence nanodevice. PMID:25246857

Basic modelling of transport in 2D wave-mechanical nanodots and billiards with balanced gain and loss mediated by complex potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berggren, Karl-Fredrik; Tellander, Felix; Yakimenko, Irina

2018-05-01

Non-Hermitian quantum mechanics with parity-time (PT) symmetry is presently gaining great interest, especially within the fields of photonics and optics. Here, we give a brief overview of low-dimensional semiconductor nanodevices using the example of a quantum dot with input and output leads, which are mimicked by imaginary potentials for gain and loss, and how wave functions, particle flow, coalescence of levels and associated breaking of PT symmetry may be analysed within such a framework. Special attention is given to the presence of exceptional points and symmetry breaking. Related features for musical string instruments and ‘wolf-notes’ are outlined briefly with suggestions for further experiments.

Fabrication of CuO-Pt core-shell nanohooks by in situ reconstructing the Pt-shells.

PubMed

Cao, Fan; Zheng, He; Zhao, Ligong; Huang, Rui; Jia, Shuangfeng; Liu, Huihui; Li, Lei; Wang, Zhao; Hu, Yongming; Gu, Haoshuang; Wang, Jianbo

2018-05-25

The design of various nanostructures with specific compositions and shapes is highly demanded due to the widespread use of micro/nano electro-mechanical systems. In this work, one-dimensional CuO-Pt core-shell nanowires (NWs) are acquired by depositing Pt nanoparticles onto CuO NWs and then mechanically-shaped into nanohooks. Subsequently, the hook-like shape is maintained by the Pt-shell which is reconstructed via Joule heat and re-solidified after cooling down, during which the elastic strain energy is stored in the CuO-core. The results provide a simple strategy to design nanostructures with various compositions and shapes, implying the potential applications in mechanical energy storage and shape memory nanodevices.

Crossed Ga2O3/SnO2 multiwire architecture: a local structure study with nanometer resolution.

PubMed

Martínez-Criado, Gema; Segura-Ruiz, Jaime; Chu, Manh-Hung; Tucoulou, Remi; López, Iñaki; Nogales, Emilio; Mendez, Bianchi; Piqueras, Javier

2014-10-08

Crossed nanowire structures are the basis for high-density integration of a variety of nanodevices. Owing to the critical role of nanowires intersections in creating hybrid architectures, it has become a challenge to investigate the local structure in crossing points in metal oxide nanowires. Thus, if intentionally grown crossed nanowires are well-patterned, an ideal model to study the junction is formed. By combining electron and synchrotron beam nanoprobes, we show here experimental evidence of the role of impurities in the coupling formation, structural modifications, and atomic site configuration based on crossed Ga2O3/SnO2 nanowires. Our experiment opens new avenues for further local structure studies with both nanometer resolution and elemental sensitivity.

Selective interface transparency in graphene nanoribbon based molecular junctions.

PubMed

Dou, K P; Kaun, C C; Zhang, R Q

2018-03-08

A clear understanding of electrode-molecule interfaces is a prerequisite for the rational engineering of future generations of nanodevices that will rely on single-molecule coupling between components. With a model system, we reveal a peculiar dependence on interfaces in all graphene nanoribbon-based carbon molecular junctions. The effect can be classified into two types depending on the intrinsic feature of the embedded core graphene nanoflake (GNF). For metallic GNFs with |N A - N B | = 1, good/poor contact transparency occurs when the core device aligns with the center/edge of the electrode. The situation is reversed when a semiconducting GNF is the device, where N A = N B . These results may shed light on the design of real connecting components in graphene-based nanocircuits.

Photosynthetic Energy Transfer at the Quantum/Classical Border.

PubMed

Keren, Nir; Paltiel, Yossi

2018-06-01

Quantum mechanics diverges from the classical description of our world when very small scales or very fast processes are involved. Unlike classical mechanics, quantum effects cannot be easily related to our everyday experience and are often counterintuitive to us. Nevertheless, the dimensions and time scales of the photosynthetic energy transfer processes puts them close to the quantum/classical border, bringing them into the range of measurable quantum effects. Here we review recent advances in the field and suggest that photosynthetic processes can take advantage of the sensitivity of quantum effects to the environmental 'noise' as means of tuning exciton energy transfer efficiency. If true, this design principle could be a base for 'nontrivial' coherent wave property nano-devices. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fabrication of CuO–Pt core–shell nanohooks by in situ reconstructing the Pt-shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Fan; Zheng, He; Zhao, Ligong; Huang, Rui; Jia, Shuangfeng; Liu, Huihui; Li, Lei; Wang, Zhao; Hu, Yongming; Gu, Haoshuang; Wang, Jianbo

2018-05-01

The design of various nanostructures with specific compositions and shapes is highly demanded due to the widespread use of micro/nano electro-mechanical systems. In this work, one-dimensional CuO–Pt core–shell nanowires (NWs) are acquired by depositing Pt nanoparticles onto CuO NWs and then mechanically-shaped into nanohooks. Subsequently, the hook-like shape is maintained by the Pt-shell which is reconstructed via Joule heat and re-solidified after cooling down, during which the elastic strain energy is stored in the CuO-core. The results provide a simple strategy to design nanostructures with various compositions and shapes, implying the potential applications in mechanical energy storage and shape memory nanodevices.

Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes using Atomic Hydrogen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khare, Bishun N.; Cassell, Alan M.; Nguyen, Cattien V.; Meyyappan, M.; Han, Jie; Arnold, Jim (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

We have investigated the irradiation of multi walled and single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with atomic hydrogen. After irradiating the SWNT sample, a band at 2940/cm (3.4 microns) that is characteristic of the C-H stretching mode is observed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Additional confirmation of SWNT functionalization is tested by irradiating with atomic deuterium. A weak band in the region 1940/cm (5.2 micron) to 2450/cm (4.1 micron) corresponding to C-D stretching mode is also observed in the FTIR spectrum. This technique provides a clean gas phase process for the functionalization of SWNTs, which could lead to further chemical manipulation and/or the tuning of the electronic properties of SWNTs for nanodevice applications.

Mechanism of axial strain effects on friction in carbon nanotube rotating bearings.

PubMed

Huang, Jianzhang; Han, Qiang

2018-08-10

A systematic study of axial strain effects on friction in carbon nanotube bearings is conducted in this paper. The relationships between friction and axial strains are determined by implementing molecular dynamics simulations. It is found that the dependence of friction on velocity and temperature is altered by axial strains. The mechanism of strain effects is revealed through numerical and theoretical analyses. Based on phonon computations, axial strain effects tune friction by adjusting the distribution of the phonon frequency density, which affects the transfer efficiency of orderly kinetic energy into disorderly thermal energy. The findings in this work advance the understanding of friction in carbon nanotubes and suggest the great potential of axial strain effects on tuning friction in nanodevice applications.

Prestress Strengthens the Shell of Norwalk Virus Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Baclayon, Marian; Shoemaker, Glen K.; Uetrecht, Charlotte; Crawford, Sue E.; Estes, Mary K.; Prasad, B. V. Venkataram; Heck, Albert J. R.; Wuite, Gijs J. L.; Roos, Wouter H.

2014-01-01

We investigated the influence of the protruding domain of Norwalk virus-like particles (NVLP) on its overall structural and mechanical stability. Deletion of the protruding domain yields smooth mutant particles and our AFM nanoindentation measurements show a surprisingly altered indentation response of these particles. Notably, the brittle behavior of the NVLP as compared to the plastic behavior of the mutant reveals that the protruding domain drastically changes the capsid’s material properties. We conclude that the protruding domain introduces prestress, thereby increasing the stiffness of the NVLP and effectively stabilizing the viral nanoparticles. Our results exemplify the variety of methods that nature has explored to improve the mechanical properties of viral capsids, which in turn provides new insights for developing rationally designed, self-assembled nanodevices. PMID:21967663

Imaging quantum transport using scanning gate microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hackens, Benoit

2014-03-01

Quantum transport in nanodevices is usually probed thanks to measurements of the electrical resistance or conductance, which lack the spatial resolution necessary to probe electron behaviour inside the devices. In this talk, we will show that scanning gate microscopy (SGM) yields real-space images of quantum transport phenomena inside archetypal mesoscopic devices such as quantum point contacts and quantum rings. We will first discuss the SGM technique, which is based on mapping the electrical conductance of a device as an electrically-biased sharp metallic tip scans in its vicinity. With SGM, we demonstrated low temperature imaging of the electron probability density and interferences in embedded mesoscopic quantum rings [B. Hackens et al., Nat. Phys. 2, 826 (2006)]. At high magnetic field, thanks to the SGM conductance maps, one can decrypt complex transport phenomena such as tunneling between quantum Hall edge state, either direct or through localized states [B. Hackens et al., Nat. Comm. 1, 39 (2010)]. Moreover, the technique also allows to perform local spectroscopy of electron transport through selected localized states [F. Martins et al., New J. of Phys. 15, 013049 (2013); F. Martins et al., Sci. Rep. 3, 1416 (2013)]. Overall, these examples show that scanning gate microscopy is a powerful tool for imaging charge carrier behavior inside devices fabricated from a variety of materials, and opens the way towards a more intimate manipulation of charge and quasiparticle transport. This work was performed in collaboration with F. Martins, S. Faniel, B. Brun, M. Pala, X. Wallart, L. Desplanque, B. Rosenow, T. Ouisse, H. Sellier, S. Huant and V. Bayot.

Enhancement of tunneling current in phosphorene tunnel field effect transistors by surface defects.

PubMed

Lu, Juan; Fan, Zhi-Qiang; Gong, Jian; Chen, Jie-Zhi; ManduLa, Huhe; Zhang, Yan-Yang; Yang, Shen-Yuan; Jiang, Xiang-Wei

2018-02-21

The effects of the staggered double vacancies, hydrogen (H), 3d transition metals, for example cobalt, and semiconductor covalent atoms, for example, germanium, nitrogen, phosphorus (P) and silicon adsorption on the transport properties of monolayer phosphorene were studied using density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's function formalism. It was observed that the performance of the phosphorene tunnel field effect transistors (TFETs) with an 8.8 nm scaling channel length could be improved most effectively, if the adatoms or vacancies were introduced at the source channel interface. For H and P doped devices, the upper limit of on-state currents of phosphorene TFETs were able to be quickly increased to 2465 μA μm -1 and 1652 μA μm -1 , respectively, which not only outperformed the pristine sample, but also met the requirements for high performance logic applications for the next decade in the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS). It was proved that the defect-induced band gap states make the effective tunneling path between the conduction band (CB) and valence band (VB) much shorter, so that the carriers can be injected easily from the left electrode, then transfer to the channel. In this regard, the tunneling properties of phosphorene TFETs can be manipulated using surface defects. In addition, the effects of spin polarization on the transport properties of doped phosphorene TFETs were also rigorously considered, H and P doped TFETs could achieve a high ON current of 1795 μA μm -1 and 1368 μA μm -1 , respectively, which is closer to realistic nanodevices.

An RNA Origami Octahedron with Intrinsic siRNAs for Potent Gene Knockdown.

PubMed

Høiberg, Hans Christian; Sparvath, Steffen M; Andersen, Veronica L; Kjems, Jørgen; Andersen, Ebbe S

2018-05-26

The fields of DNA and RNA nanotechnology have established nucleic acids as valuable building blocks for functional nanodevices with applications in nanomedicine. Here, a simple method for designing and assembling a 3D scaffolded RNA origami wireframe structure with intrinsic functioning small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) embedded is introduced. Uniquely, the method uses an mRNA fragment as scaffold strand, which is folded by sequence-complementarity of nine shorter synthetic strands. High-yield production of the intended 3D structure is verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Production of functional siRNAs is facilitated by incorporating recognition sites for Dicer at selected locations in the structure, and efficient silencing of a target reporter gene is demonstrated. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Emission switching in carbon dots coated CdTe quantum dots driving by pH dependent hetero-interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dai, Xiao; Wang, Hao; Yi, Qinghua

2015-11-16

Due to the different emission mechanism between fluorescent carbon dots and semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), it is of interest to explore the potential emission in hetero-structured carbon dots/semiconducting QDs. Herein, we design carbon dots coated CdTe QDs (CDQDs) and investigate their inherent emission. We demonstrate switchable emission for the hetero-interactions of the CDQDs. Optical analyses indicate electron transfer between the carbon dots and the CdTe QDs. A heterojunction electron process is proposed as the driving mechanism based on N atom protonation of the carbon dots. This work advances our understanding of the interaction mechanism of the heterostructured CDQDs and benefitsmore » the future development of optoelectronic nanodevices with new functionalities.« less