Issue 15, 2013

Interface interaction induced ultra-dense nanoparticles assemblies

Abstract

We demonstrate a simple and clean physical methodology for fabricating such nanoparticle assemblies (dense arrays and/or dendrites) related to the interfacial interaction between the constructed materials and the anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) porous templates. The interfacial interaction can be regulated by the surface tension of the constructed materials and the AAO membrane, and the AAO-template structure, such as pore size, membrane thickness and surface morphologies. Depending on the interfacial interaction between the constructed materials and the AAO templates, NP arrays with mean particle diameters from 3.8 ± 1.0 nm to 12.5 ± 2.9 nm, mean inter-edge spacings from 3.5 ± 1.4 nm to 7.9 ± 3.4 nm and areal densities from 5.6 × 1011 NPs per cm2 to 1.5 × 1012 NPs per cm2 are fabricated over large areas (currently ∼2 cm × 3 cm). The fabrication process includes firstly thermal evaporation of metal layers no more than 10 nm thick on the pre-coated Si wafer by AAO templates with a thickness of less than 150 nm and mean pore sizes no more than 12 nm, and then removal of the AAO templates. The NP arrays can be stable for hours at a temperature slightly below the melting point of the constructed materials (e.g., ∼800 °C for Au NPs for 4 hours) with little change in size and inter-particle separation. Using one of them (e.g., 11.8 nm Au NPs) as growth-oriented catalysts, ultra-thin (12.1 ± 2.3 nm) dense nanowires can be conveniently obtained. Furthermore, dendrite superstructures can be generated easily from eutectic alloy NPs with diameters of ∼10 nm pre-formed by thermal evaporation of metal layers more than 20 nm thick on surface-patterned thick AAO templates (e.g., 500 nm). The resulting dendrites, dense arrays and other superstructures (i.e., nanorods and nanowires) formed using NP arrays as catalysts, should have broad applications in catalysis, information technology, photovoltaics and biomedical engineering.

Graphical abstract: Interface interaction induced ultra-dense nanoparticles assemblies

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Mar 2013
Accepted
10 May 2013
First published
15 May 2013

Nanoscale, 2013,5, 6779-6789

Interface interaction induced ultra-dense nanoparticles assemblies

Y. Song, Y. Wang, B. B. Li, C. Fernandes and H. E. Ruda, Nanoscale, 2013, 5, 6779 DOI: 10.1039/C3NR01366A

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