Transport at Nanoscale Interfaces

Hybrid Nanoscale Interfaces

Nanoparticle arrays

Monodispersed in size chemically synthesized gold nanoparticles covered with organic thiol-based shell (typically, C8H17SH, C12H25SH), being transferred on suspended water surface, form self-assembled monolayer (Nanoparticle Array), which can be then transferred on the Si substrate by soft lithography using PDMS stamps.

SEM image (colored) of self-assembled nanoparticle array transferred on top of Si substrate. Array is formed by 10 nm gold nanoparticles covered with n-octylthiol shell.


The size of the gap between neighboring nanoparticles is determined by the length of the thiol molecules used during process. These thiols can be replaced by different types of molecules. If the length of replaced molecules is suitable to bridge the gap, the network of molecular junctions (NanoParticle Self-Assembled Network, NPSAN) is formed.

 

References

Ordered nanoparticles arrays interconnected by molecular wires: electronic and optoelectronic properties
J. Liao, S. Blok, S. J. van der Molen, S. Diefenbach, A. Holleitner, C. Schönenberger, A. Vladyka, and M. Calame.
Chem. Soc. Rev., 44 (4), 999-1014, 2015.