Simple and Rapid Monolayer Self-Assembly of Nanoparticles at the Air/Water Interface

Colloidal crystals and their two-dimensional (2D) monolayers, which have been commonly applied in nanosphere lithography, have the potential to revolutionize many engineering disciplines; however, current production techniques are hampered by a restricted preparation area, laborious procedures, and the need for advanced equipment. We propose a self-assembly-driven, simple, and low-cost method to prepare 2D colloidal nanosphere monolayers with excellent repeatability across wide regions. The self-assembly capability of colloidal polystyrene (PS) nanospheres at the air/water interface was utilized to transfer the assembled monolayers onto a substrate. This innovative method combines the advantages of methods that permit deposition at the air/water interface, such as Langmuir and drop coating, in order to deliver defect-free, simple-to-install, and simple-to-apply deposition across vast regions. Using field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, the resultant coatings were characterized. The size of the nanospheres was reduced using an oxygen plasma etch process in an inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching system, and the reflectance properties of the substrates for various nanosphere sizes were investigated. By evaporation of a thin gold capping layer on the templates, their optical properties were compared using surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy. This work has the potential to expand the use of nanosphere lithography by offering a simple and reproducible method that eliminates the need for complicated experimental setups and reduces the amount of material required for monolayer coating, thus lowering the cost.

Shape Modulation of Plasmonic Nanostructures by Unconventional Lithographic Technique

Conventional nano-sphere lithography techniques have been extended to the fabrication of highly periodic arrays of sub-wavelength nanoholes in a thin metal film. By combining the dry etching processes of self-assembled monolayers of polystyrene colloids with metal physical deposition, the complete transition from increasing size triangular nanoprism to hexagonally distributed nanoholes array onto thin metal film has been gradually explored. The investigated nano-structured materials exhibit interesting plasmonic properties which can be precisely modulated in a desired optical spectral region. An interesting approach based on optical absorbance measurements has been adopted for rapid and non-invasive inspections of the nano-sphere monolayer after the ion etching process. By enabling an indirect and accurate evaluation of colloid dimensions in a large area, this approach allows the low-cost and reproducible fabrication of plasmonic materials with specifically modulated optical properties suitable for many application in biosensing devices or Raman enhanced effects.

Spectroscopy-Assisted Label-free Molecular Analysis of Live Cell Surface with Vertically Aligned Plasmonic Nanopillars

A generalized label-free platform for surface-selective molecular sensing in living cells can transform the ability to examine complex events in the cell membrane. While vertically aligned semiconductor and metal-semiconductor hybrid nanopillars have rapidly surfaced for stimulating and probing the intracellular environment, the potential of such constructs for selectively interrogating the cell membrane is surprisingly underappreciated. In this work, a new platform, entitled nano-PROD (nano-pillar based Raman optical detection), enables molecular recording by probing fundamental vibrational modes of membrane constituents of cells adherent on a large-area silver-coated silicon nanopillar substrate fabricated using a precursor solution-based nanomanufacturing process. It is shown that the nano-PROD platform sustains live cells in near-physiological conditions, which can be directly profiled using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy due to the confined electromagnetic field enhancement. The experimental results highlight the utility of the platform in probing specific cell surface markers for accurately recognizing the phenotypically identical prostate cancer cells, differing only in prostate-specific membrane antigen expression. Due to its tunability, nano-PROD has the promise to be readily extendable to other applications that can leverage its unique combination of nanoscale topographic features and molecular sensing capabilities, from stain-free cytopathology inspection to understanding spatio-mechanical regulation in membrane receptor function.

Neurotoxic potential of polystyrene nanoplastics in primary cells originating from mouse brain

Polystyrene (PS) and chemically modified compounds in the PS family have long been used in commercial and industrial fields. However, it is poorly understood whether nanoscale-PS microplastic or PS nanoplastic exposure leads to perturbations in fundamental cellular functions, such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Herein, we cultured three types of primary cells, including mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), mixed neuronal cells isolated from embryonic cortex, and cortical astrocytes, and investigated the effects of their exposure to PS nanoplastics with a 100 nm diameter. Although PS nanoplastic exposure did not affect the viability of MEFs or astrocytes, it significantly reduced the viability of mixed neuronal cells. Consistent with the observed effect on cellular viability, levels of the apoptosis marker, cleaved caspase-3, were elevated exclusively in mixed neuronal cells. To investigate whether cells uptake PS nanoplastics into the cytoplasm, we exposed MEFs and neurons to fluorescent PS latex beads and monitored fluorescence over time. We found that PS nanoplastics were deposited and accumulated in the cytoplasm in a concentration-dependent manner. Although astrocytes were not apoptotic upon exposure to PS nanoplastics, they underwent reactive astrocytosis, with increased levels of lipocalin-2 and proinflammatory cytokines. Therefore, our findings suggested that the vulnerability of cells to the deposition and accumulation of PS nanoplastics in the cytoplasm was dependent on cell type. Furthermore, based on our data from primary cells originating from mouse brains, we suggest that reactive astrocytosis may contribute to the neuronal apoptosis seen in defective neurons with PS nanoplastics accumulated in the cell body.

A Facile, Low-Cost Plasma Etching Method for Achieving Size Controlled Non-Close-Packed Monolayer Arrays of Polystyrene Nano-Spheres

Monolayer nano-sphere arrays attract great research interest as they can be used as templates to fabricate various nano-structures. Plasma etching, and in particular high-frequency plasma etching, is the most commonly used method to obtain non-close-packed monolayer arrays. However, the method is still limited in terms of cost and efficiency. In this study, we demonstrate that a low frequency (40 kHz) plasma etching system can be used to fabricate non-close-packed monolayer arrays of polystyrene (PS) nano-spheres with smooth surfaces and that the etching rate is nearly doubled compared to that of the high-frequency systems. The study reveals that the low-frequency plasma etching process is dominated by a thermal evaporation etching mechanism, which is different from the atom-scale dissociation mechanism that underlines the high-frequency plasma etching. It is found that the polystyrene nano-sphere size can be precisely controlled by either adjusting the etching time or power. Through introducing oxygen as the assisting gas in the low frequency plasma etching system, we achieved a coalesced polystyrene nano-sphere array and used it as a template for metal-assisted chemical etching. We demonstrate that the method can significantly improve the aspect ratio of the silicon nanowires to over 200 due to the improved flexure rigidity.

Biosensor Applications of Electrodeposited Nanostructures

The development of biosensors for a range of analytes from small molecules to proteins to oligonucleotides is an intensely active field. Detection methods based on electrochemistry or on localized surface plasmon responses have advanced through using nanostructured electrodes prepared by electrodeposition, which is capable of preparing a wide range of different structures. Supported nanoparticles can be prepared by electrodeposition through applying fixed potentials, cycling potentials, and fixed current methods. Nanoparticle sizes, shapes, and surface densities can be controlled, and regular structures can be prepared by electrodeposition through templates. The incorporation of multiple nanomaterials into composite films can take advantage of the superior and potentially synergistic properties of each component. Nanostructured electrodes can provide supports for enzymes, antibodies, or oligonucleotides for creating sensors against many targets in areas such as genomic analysis, the detection of protein antigens, or the detection of small molecule metabolites. Detection can also be performed using electrochemical methods, and the nanostructured electrodes can greatly enhance electrochemical responses by carefully designed schemes. Biosensors based on electrodeposited nanostructures can contribute to the advancement of many goals in bioanalytical and clinical chemistry.

Fabrication of Core-Shell Nanotube Array for Artificial Photosynthesis Featuring an Ultrathin Composite Separation Membrane

Macroscale arrays of cobalt oxide-silica core-shell nanotubes with high aspect ratio and ultrathin walls of less than 20 nm have been fabricated. The silica shells feature embedded oligo-para(phenylenevinylene) molecules for charge transport across the insulating silica layer, which is tightly controlled by their electronic properties. The assembly is based on the use of a sacrificial Si nanorod array template combined with atomic layer deposition, covalent anchoring of organic wire molecules, and dry cryo-etching. High-resolution TEM imaging of samples prepared by microtome affords structural details of single core-shell nanotubes. The integrity of silica-embedded organic wire molecules exposed to atomic layer deposition, thermal treatment, and harsh etching procedures is demonstrated by grazing angle ATR FT-IR, FT-Raman, and XPS spectroscopy. The inorganic oxide-based core-shell nanotubes with ultrathin gas-impermeable, proton-conducting silica shells functionalized by molecular wires enable complete nanoscale photosynthetic units for CO₂ reduction by H₂O under membrane separation. Arrays of massive numbers of such core-shell nanotube units afford a design that extends the separation of the incompatible H₂O oxidation and CO₂ reduction catalysis environments across the continuum of length scales from nanometers to centimeters.

Yolk-Shell Polystyrene@Microporous Organic Network: A Smart Template with Thermally Disassemblable Yolk To Engineer Hollow MoS2/C Composites for High-Performance Supercapacitors

Yolk-shell-type polystyrene@microporous organic network (Y-PS@MON) materials were prepared by the Sonogashira coupling of tetra(4-ethynylphenyl)methane and 1,4-diiodobenzene on the surface of PS@SiO2 and by the etching of SiO2. The diameter of PS yolk spheres and the thickness of MON shells were 150 and ∼10 nm, respectively. The thickness of the void space between the PS yolk and the MON shell was ∼30 nm. Y-PS@MONs were used as templates for the synthesis of MoS2/C composite materials. Because of the microporosity of the MON shells and the void space between the yolk and the shell, MoS2 precursor compounds were efficiently incorporated into Y-PS@MONs. The heat treatment under argon resulted in the formation of hollow MoS2/C composites. The contents of MoS2 in the composites were systematically controlled by changing the amounts of precursor. MoS2/C with 58 wt % of MoS2 showed the best energy storage performance with a capacitance of 418 F/g at a 0.5 A/g current density as an electrode material of a coin cell supercapacitor, which is attributable to its hollow structure, high surface area, and the good distribution of the sliced MoS2 in the carbon matrix. Also, the MoS2/C-58 composite showed excellent retention of capacitances during 5000 cycles.

Pitch Control of Hexagonal Non-Close-Packed Nanosphere Arrays Using Isotropic Deformation of an Elastomer

Self-assembly of colloidal nanospheres combined with various nanofabrication techniques produces an ever-increasing range of two-dimensional (2D) ordered nanostructures, although the pattern periodicity is typically bound to the original interparticle spacing. Deformable soft lithography using controlled deformation of elastomeric substrates and subsequent contact printing transfer offer a versatile method to systematically control the lattice spacing and arrangements of the 2D nanosphere array. However, the anisotropic nature of uniaxial and biaxial stretching as well as the strain limit of solvent swelling makes it difficult to create well-separated, ordered 2D nanosphere arrays with large-area hexagonal arrangements. In this paper, we report a simple, facile approach to fabricate such arrays of polystyrene nanospheres using a custom-made radial stretching apparatus. The maximum stretchability and spatial uniformity of the poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) elastomeric substrate is systematically investigated. A pitch increase as large as 213% is demonstrated using a single stretching-and-transfer process, which is at least 3 times larger than the maximum pitch increase achievable using a single swelling-and-transfer process. Unlike the colloidal arrays generated by the uniaxial and biaxial stretching, the isotropic expansion of radial stretching allows the hexagonal array to retain its original structure across the entire substrate. Upon radial strain applied to the PDMS sheet, the nanosphere array with modified pitch is transferred to a variety of target substrates, exhibiting different optical behaviors and serving as an etch mask or a template for molding.

Role of Acetone in the Formation of Highly Dispersed Cationic Polystyrene Nanoparticles

A modified emulsion polymerisation synthesis route for preparing highly dispersed cationic polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles is reported. The combined use of 2,2′-azobis[2-(2-imidazolin- 2-yl)propane] di-hydrochloride (VA-044) as the initiator and acetone/water as the solvent medium afforded successful synthesis of cationic PS particles as small as 31 nm in diameter. A formation mechanism for the preparation of PS nanoparticles was proposed, whereby the occurrence of rapid acetone diffusion caused spontaneous rupture of emulsion droplets into smaller droplets. Additionally, acetone helped to reduce the surface tension and increase the solubility of styrene, thus inhibiting aggregation and coagulation among the particles. In contrast, VA-044 initiator could effectively regulate the stability of the PS nanoparticles including both the surface charge and size. Other reaction parameters i.e. VA-044 concentration and reaction time were examined to establish the optimum polymerisation conditions.

Stretchable Substrates for the Assembly of Polymeric Microstructures

The directed assembly of micro-/nanoscale objects relies on physical or chemical processes to generate structures that are not possible via self-assembly alone. A relatively unexplored strategy in directed assembly is the "active" manipulation of building blocks through deformations of elastomeric substrates. This manuscript reports a method which uses macroscopic mechanical deformations of chemically modified silicone films to realize the rational assembly of microscopic polymer structures. Specifically, polystyrene microparticles are deposited onto polydimethylsiloxane substrates using microcontact-printing where, through a process that involved stretching/relaxing the substrates and bonding of the particles, they are elaborated into microstructures of various sizes, shapes, symmetries, periodicities, and functionalities. The resulting polymeric microstructures can be released and redeposited onto planar/nonplanar surfaces. When building blocks with different properties (e.g., those with fluorescent and catalytic properties) are used, it is possible to fabricate structures with heterogeneous functionality. This method can be extended to the assembly of numerous micro-/nanoscale building blocks (e.g., colloidal organic/inorganic materials) with rational control over the size, shape, and functionality of the product. As a strategy, the use of substrate deformations to enable the micromanipulation and fabrication of a potentially diverse set of assemblies represents a powerful tool useful to, for example, nanotechnology and micromanufacturing.

Hollow CuxO (x = 2, 1) micro/nanostructures: synthesis, fundamental properties and applications

In this review, we comprehensively summarize the important advances in hollow Cu_xO micro/nanostructures, including the universal synthesis strategies, the interfacial Cu–O atomic structures as well as the intrinsic properties, and potential applications. Remarks on emerging issues and promising research directions are also discussed.

Effective SERS-active substrates composed of hierarchical micro/nanostructured arrays based on reactive ion etching and colloidal masks

A facile route has been proposed for the fabrication of morphology-controlled periodic SiO2 hierarchical micro/nanostructured arrays by reactive ion etching (RIE) using monolayer colloidal crystals as masks. By effectively controlling the experimental conditions of RIE, the morphology of a periodic SiO2 hierarchical micro/nanostructured array could be tuned from a dome-shaped one to a circular truncated cone, and finally to a circular cone. After coating a silver thin layer, these periodic micro/nanostructured arrays were used as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active substrates and demonstrated obvious SERS signals of 4-Aminothiophenol (4-ATP). In addition, the circular cone arrays displayed better SERS enhancement than those of the dome-shaped and circular truncated cone arrays due to the rougher surface caused by physical bombardment. After optimization of the circular cone arrays with different periodicities, an array with the periodicity of 350 nm exhibits much stronger SERS enhancement and possesses a low detection limit of 10(-10) M 4-ATP. This offers a practical platform to conveniently prepare SERS-active substrates.

Patterned Well-Aligned ZnO Nanorods Assisted with Polystyrene Monolayer by Oxygen Plasma Treatment

Zinc oxide is known as a promising material for sensing devices due to its piezoelectric properties. In particular, the alignment of ZnO nanostructures into ordered nanoarrays is expected to improve the device sensitivity due to the large surface area which can be utilized to capture significant quantities of gas particles. However, ZnO nanorods are difficult to grow on the quartz substrate with well-ordered shape. So, we investigated nanostructures by adjusting the interval distance of the arranged ZnO nanorods using polystyrene (PS) spheres of various sizes (800 nm, 1300 nm and 1600 nm). In addition, oxygen plasma treatment was used to specify the nucleation site of round, patterned ZnO nanorod growth. Therefore, ZnO nanorods were grown on a quartz substrate with a patterned polystyrene monolayer by the hydrothermal method after oxygen plasma treatment. The obtained ZnO nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM).

Polymeric Colloidal Nanostructures Fabricated via Highly Controlled Convective Assembly and Their Use for Molecular Imprinting

In this work, the formation of various polystyrene (PS) colloidal structures on striped PS patterns is demonstrated based on a simple and novel convective assembly method that controls the electrostatic interactions between the PS colloidal particles and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Under the optimal conditions (different withdrawal speeds, channel dimensions, suspension concentrations, etc.), highly ordered structures such as highly close-packed, zigzag, and linear colloidal aggregates are observed. In addition, these colloidal arrangements are used for development of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensors with highly improved sensing properties. Using PDMS replicas, three hemispherical poly(methacrylic acid-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (poly(MAA-EGDMA)) MIP films, including planar MIP and non-imprinted polymer (NIP) films, are photopolymerized for detection of trace atrazine in an aqueous solution. From gravimetric quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements, a non-close-packed MIP film exhibits highest sensing response (Δf = 932 Hz) to atrazine detection among hemispherical MIP films and shows 6.5-fold higher sensing response than the planar MIP film. In addition, the sensitivity of the MIP sensor is equivalent to -119 Hz/(mol L(-1)). From the ratio of slopes of the calibration curves for the hemispherical MIP and NIP films, the imprinting factor (If) is as high as 11.0. The hemispherical MIP film also shows excellent selectivity in comparison with the sensing responses of other analogous herbicides. As a result, this molecular surface imprinting using PS colloidal arrays is highly efficient for herbicide detection.

Recent advancement on micro-/nano-spherical lens photolithography based on monolayer colloidal crystals

Highly ordered nanostructures have gained substantial interest in the research community due to their fascinating properties and wide applications.Micro-/nano-spherical lens photolithography (SLPL) has been recognized as an inexpensive, inherently parallel, and high-throughput approach to the creation of highly ordered nanostructures. SLPL based on monolayer colloidal crystals (MCCs) of self-assembled colloidal micro-/nano-spheres have recently made remarkable progress in overcoming the constraints of conventional photolithography in terms of cost, feature size, tunability, and pattern complexity. In this review, we highlight the current state-of-the-art in this field with an emphasis on the fabrication of a variety of highly ordered nanostructures based on this technique and their demonstrated applications in light emitting diodes, nano-patterning semiconductors, and localized surface plasmon resonance devices. Finally, we present a perspective on the future development of MCC-based SLPL technique, including a discussion on the improvement of the quality of MCCs and the compatibility of this technique with other semiconductor micromachining process for nanofabrication.

Hollow Silica as an Optically Transparent and Thermally Insulating Polymer Additive

We present an improved synthesis route to hollow silica particles starting from tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) instead of the traditionally used ethyl ester. The silica was first deposited onto polystyrene (PS) particles that were later removed. The here introduced, apparently minor modification in synthesis, however, allowed for a very high purity material. The improved, low density hollow silica particles were successfully implemented into polymer films and permitted maintaining optical transparency while significantly improving the heat barrier properties of the composite. Mechanistic investigations revealed the dominant role of here used methanol as a cosolvent and its role in controlling the hydrolysis rate of the silicic ester, and subsequent formation of hollow silica particles. Systematic experiments using various reaction parameters revealed a transition between regions of inhomogeneous material production at fast hydrolysis rate and reliable silica deposition on the surface of PS as a core-shell structured particle. The shell-thickness was controlled from 6.2 to 17.4 nm by increasing TMOS concentration and the diameter from 95 to 430 nm through use of the different sizes of PS particles. Hollow silica particle with the shell-thickness about 6.2 nm displayed a high light transmittance intensity up to 95% at 680 nm (length of light path ∼ 1 cm). Polyethersulfone (PES)/hollow silica composite films (35 ± 5 μm thick) exhibited a much lower thermal conductivity (0.03 ± 0.005 W m·K(-1)) than pure polymer films. This indicates that the prepared hollow silica is able to be used for cost and energy effective optical devices requiring thermal insulation.

Fabrication of well-ordered silicon nanopillars embedded in a microchannel via metal-assisted chemical etching: a route towards an opto-mechanical biosensor

Nanofabrication methodology that integrates the creation of silicon nanopillars inside a microfluidic channel which has significant implications for the achievement of new optomechanical biosensors.

Fabrication of silver nanoplate hierarchical turreted ordered array and its application in trace analyses

Silver nanoplate hierarchical turreted ordered arrays were fabricated through an electro-deposition method on ordered acuate silicon nanocone templates. Such arrays can be used as SERS substrates for trace analyses of streptomycin sulphate, and exhibit high activity and stability. This work is of importance in practical applications based on the SERS effect of noble metal micro/nano-structured arrays.

In situ synthesis of porous array films on a filament induced micro-gap electrode pair and their use as resistance-type gas sensors with enhanced performances

Resistance-type metal-oxide semiconductor gas sensors with high sensitivity and low detection limit have been explored for practical applications. They require both sensing films with high sensitivity to target gases and an appropriate structure of the electrode-equipped substrate to support the sensing films, which is still challenging. In this paper, a new gas sensor of metal-oxide porous array films on a micro-gap electrode pair is designed and implemented by taking ZnO as a model material. First, a micro-gap electrode pair was constructed by sputtering deposition on a filament template, which was used as the sensor's supporting substrate. Then, the sensing film, made up of ZnO porous periodic arrays, was in situ synthesized onto the supporting substrate by a solution-dipping colloidal lithography strategy. The results demonstrated the validity of the strategy, and the as-designed sensor shows a small device-resistance, an enhanced sensing performance with high resolution and an ultralow detection limit. This work provides an alternative method to promote the practical application of resistance-type gas sensors.

Photoelectrocatalytic activity of a hydrothermally grown branched Zno nanorod-array electrode for paracetamol degradation

Hierarchical branched ZnO nanorod (B-ZnR) arrays as an electrode for efficient photoelectrocatalytic degradation of paracetamol were grown on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates using a solution route. The morphologic and structural studies show the ZnO trunks are single-crystalline hexagonal wurtzite ZnO with a [0001] growth direction and are densely covered by c-axis-oriented ZnO branches. The obvious enhancement in photocurrent response of the B-ZnR electrode was obtained than that in the ZnO nanoparticle (ZnO NP) electrode. For the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of paracetamol in 20 h, the conversion fraction of the drug increased from 32% over ZnO NP electrode to 62% over B-ZnR arrays with about 3-fold increase in initial reaction rate. The light intensity-dependent photoelectrocatalytic experiment indicated that the superior performance over the B-ZnR electrode was mainly ascribed to the increased specific surface area without significantly sacrificing the charge transport and pollutant diffusion efficiencies. Two aromatic intermediate compounds were observed and eventually converted into harmless carboxylic acids and ammonia. Hierarchical tree-like ZnO arrays can be considered effective alternatives to improve photoelectro degradation rates without the need for expensive additives.

Physical deposition improved SERS stability of morphology controlled periodic micro/nanostructured arrays based on colloidal templates

An effective and inexpensive method is developed to fabricate periodic arrays by sacrificial colloidal monolayer template route by chemical deposition and further physical deposition. By a colloidal template induced precursor solution dipping strategy, different periodic arrays of semi-hollow sphere array, inverse opal with monolayer pore arrays and hole arrays are obtained under different conditions. After magnetron sputtering deposition, their morphologies are changed to novel micro/nanostructured arrays of honeycomb-shaped arrays, hollow cavity arrays, and regular network arrays due to multiple direction deposition of sputtering deposition and shadow effect. After coating a gold thin layer, these periodic micro/nanostructured arrays are used as SERS active substrates and demonstrate a very stable SERS performance compared with periodic arrays achieved by direct colloidal template-induced chemical deposition. Additionally, a honeycomb-shaped array displays better SERS enhancement than that of a hollow cavity array or a regular network array. After optimization of honeycomb-shaped arrays with different periodicities, an array with periodicity of 350 nm demonstrates much stronger SERS enhancement and possesses a low detection limit of 10(-11) M R6G. Such stable SERS performance is useful for practical application in portable Raman detecting devices to detect organic molecules.

Templated fabrication of periodic arrays of metallic and silicon nanorings with complex nanostructures

Here we report a scalable colloidal templating approach for fabricating periodic arrays of metallic and silicon nanorings with complex nanostructures. Non-close-packed monolayer silica colloidal crystal prepared by a simple spin-coating technology is first used as template for making periodic arrays of mushroom-like composite nanostructures consisting of silica spherical caps and polymer stems. Subsequent metal sputtering and reactive ion etching lead to the formation of ordered asymmetric nickel nanorings which can be further utilized as etching masks for patterning periodic arrays of symmetric silicon nanorings. Moreover, periodic arrays of metallic and silicon concentric double nanorings can be fabricated by using the asymmetric nickel nanorings as templates. We have also demonstrated that gold concentric double nanorings show strong surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with a SERS enhancement factor of ∼9.5 × 10(7) from adsorbed benzenethiol molecules. The SERS enhancement and the electric field amplitude distribution surrounding gold concentric double nanorings have been calculated by using finite element electromagnetic modeling. This new colloidal templating technique is compatible with standard microfabrication and enables wafer-scale production of a variety of periodic nanorings with hierarchical structures that could find important technological applications in plasmonic and magnetic devices.

One-pot, template-free synthesis of hydrophobic single-crystalline La(OH)3 nanowires with tunable size and their d0 ferromagnetic properties

Hydrophobic single-crystalline La(OH)₃ nanowires with tunable size have been fabricated by a facile one-pot liquid–solid-solution (LSS) assisted hydrothermal method without any template and their morphology, chemistry and crystal structure were characterized at nanoscale.

Wet etching-assisted colloidal lithography: a general strategy toward nanodisk and nanohole arrays on arbitrary substrates

A simple and facile strategy is presented to fabricate the metal nanodisk and nanohole arrays based on a wet etching-assisted polystyrene colloidal lithography. Gold is chosen to demonstrate the validity of such a strategy. The hexagonally arranged Au nanodisk and nanohole arrays are thus fabricated with large area and good uniformity. The structural parameters of the arrays, such as thicknesses, diameters, and spacings of the nanodisks or nanoholes, are facilely tunable and controllable by predeposition conditions, etching conditions and colloidal monolayer structure. More importantly, these arrays can be produced on any supporting substrates, such as conductive or nonconductive and even flexible substrates with flat, rough, or even curved surfaces. In general, the presented strategy is low in cost, simple in operation and arbitrary in substrate, and the as-prepared arrays could find potential devices' applications with nice compatibility in the fields of optics, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, biosensing, and so forth.

Enhancement of light output power from LEDs based on monolayer colloidal crystal

One of the major challenges for the application of GaN-based light emitting diodes (LEDs) in solid-state lighting lies in the low light output power (LOP). Embedding nanostructures in LEDs has attracted considerable interest because they may improve the LOP of GaN-based LEDs efficiently. Recent advances in nanostructures derived from monolayer colloidal crystal (MCC) have made remarkable progress in enhancing the performance of GaN-based LEDs. In this review, the current state of the art in this field is highlighted with an emphasis on the fabrication of ordered nanostructures using large-area, high-quality MCCs and their demonstrated applications in enhancement of LOP from GaN-based LEDs. We describe the remarkable achievements that have improved the internal quantum efficiency, the light extraction efficiency, or both from LEDs by taking advantages of diverse functions that the nanostructures provided. Finally, a perspective on the future development of enhancement of LOP by using the nanostructures derived from MCC is presented.

Wafer-scale surface roughening for enhanced light extraction of high power AlGaInP-based light-emitting diodes

A new approach to surface roughening was established and optimized in this paper for enhancing the light extraction of high power AlGaInP-based LEDs, by combining ultraviolet (UV) assisted imprinting with dry etching techniques. In this approach, hexagonal arrays of cone-shaped etch pits are fabricated on the surface of LEDs, forming gradient effective-refractive-index that can mitigate the emission loss due to total internal reflection and therefore increase the light extraction efficiency. For comparison, wafer-scale FLAT-LEDs without any surface roughening, WET-LEDs with surface roughened by wet etching, and DRY-LEDs with surface roughened by varying the dry etching time of the AlGaInP layer, were fabricated and characterized. The average output power for wafer-scale FLAT-LEDs, WET-LEDs, and DRY3-LEDs (optimal) at 350 mA was found to be 102, 140, and 172 mW, respectively, and there was no noticeable electrical degradation with the WET-LEDs and DRY-LEDs. The light output was increased by 37.3% with wet etching, and 68.6% with dry etching surface roughening, respectively, without compromising the electrical performance of LEDs. A total number of 1600 LED chips were tested for each type of LEDs. The yield of chips with an optical output power of 120 mW and above was 0.3% (4 chips), 42.8% (684 chips), and 90.1% (1441 chips) for FLAT-LEDs, WET-LEDs, and DRY3-LEDs, respectively. The dry etching surface roughening approach developed here is potentially useful for the industrial mass production of wafer-scale high power LEDs.

Dense assembly of Gd2O3:0.05X3+ (X = Eu, Tb) nanorods into nanoscaled thin-films and their photoluminescence properties

This paper presents a simple and effective oil-water interfacial self-assembly strategy to fabricate monolayer and bilayer nanofilms of densely packed Gd2O3:0.05X(3+) (X = Eu, Tb) nanorods with characteristic luminescence properties. In this process, Gd2O3:0.05X(3+) (X = Eu, Tb) nanotubes synthesized by a hydrothermal method are dispersed in deionized water; then, a certain amount of n-hexane is added to produce a hexane-water interface. With n-butanol added as initiator, the nanotubes are gradually trapped at the interface to form a densely packed nanofilm. A monolayer nanofilm of densely packed Gd2O3:0.05Eu(3+) nanorods is obtained after annealing. In addition, the bilayer nanofilm composed of Gd2O3:0.05X(3+) (X = Eu, Tb) nanorods still retains the luminescence properties of each monolayer nanofilm. Moreover, the adhesion of the film on the substrate is very strong, which is extremely beneficial for its future applications.

Fabrication and characterization of hexagonally patterned quasi-1D ZnO nanowire arrays

Quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) ZnO nanowire arrays with hexagonal pattern have been successfully synthesized via the vapor transport process without any metal catalyst. By utilizing polystyrene microsphere self-assembled monolayer, sol-gel-derived ZnO thin films were used as the periodic nucleation sites for the growth of ZnO nanowires. High-quality quasi-1D ZnO nanowires were grown from nucleation sites, and the original hexagonal periodicity is well-preserved. According to the experimental results, the vapor transport solid condensation mechanism was proposed, in which the sol-gel-derived ZnO film acting as a seed layer for nucleation. This simple method provides a favorable way to form quasi-1D ZnO nanostructures applicable to diverse fields such as two-dimensional photonic crystal, nanolaser, sensor arrays, and other optoelectronic devices.

Integrated one diode-one resistor architecture in nanopillar SiOx resistive switching memory by nanosphere lithography

We report on a highly compact, one diode-one resistor (1D-1R) nanopillar device architecture for SiOx-based ReRAM fabricated using nanosphere lithography (NSL). The intrinsic SiOx-based resistive switching element and Si diode are self-aligned on an epitaxial silicon wafer using NSL and a deep-Si-etch process without conventional photolithography. AC-pulse response in 50 ns regime, multibit operation, and good reliability are demonstrated. The NSL process provides a fast and economical approach to large-scale patterning of high-density 1D-1R ReRAM with good potential for use in future applications.

Fabrication of antireflective compound eyes by imprinting

In this article, we demonstrate a simple and cost-effective approach to fabricate antireflective polymer coatings. The antireflective surfaces have 3D structures that mimick moth compound eyes. The fabrication is easily performed via a one-step imprinting process. The 3D arrays exhibit better antireflective performance than 2D arrays over most wavelengths from 400 to 2400 nm. The reflectivity of the 3D arrays is lower than 5.7% over the all of the wavelengths, and the minimum reflectivity is 0.27% at a wavelength of around 1000 nm.

Periodic arrays of metal nanorings and nanocrescents fabricated by a scalable colloidal templating approach

Here, we report a scalable bottom-up approach for fabricating periodic arrays of metal nanorings and nanocrescents. Wafer-scale monolayer silica colloidal crystals with an unusual non-close-packed structure prepared by a simple and rapid spin-coating technology are used as both etching and shadowing masks to create nanoring-shaped trenches in between templated polymer posts and sacrificial nanoholes. Directional deposition of metals in the trenches followed by liftoff of the polymer posts and the sacrificial nanoholes results in forming ordered metal nanorings. The inner and outer radii of the final nanorings are determined by the sizes of the templated polymer posts and the silica microspheres which can be easily adjusted by tuning the spin-coating and templating conditions. Most importantly, by simply controlling the tilt angle of the substrate toward the directional metal beams, continuous geometric transition from concentric nanorings to eccentric nanorings to nanocrescents can be achieved. This new colloidal templating approach is compatible with standard semiconductor microfabrication, promising for mass-production and on-chip integration of periodic nanorings and nanocrescents for a wide spectrum of technological applications ranging from nanooptical devices and ultrasensitive biosensing to magnetic memories and logic circuits.

Generalized fabrication of monolayer nonclose-packed colloidal crystals with tunable lattice spacing

Here, we report a simple colloidal transfer technology that enables scalable fabrication of monolayer nonclose-packed silica colloidal crystals on a large variety of substrates. Two-dimensional colloidal crystals with an unusual nonclose-packed structure are first assembled on silicon wafers by a spin-coating technique. A poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) film cast upon the spin-coated colloidal crystal is used to transfer the nonclose-packed particle arrays onto various substrates. The lattice spacing of the transferred monolayer colloidal crystal can easily be adjusted by thermally treating the PVA-silica spheres composite film for varied durations. We also have demonstrated the templating fabrication of periodic arrays of gold nanodots using a transferred monolayer nonclose-packed colloidal crystal as a structural template. The resultant plasmonic array exhibits high surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement factor (~3.8 × 10(7)) for adsorbed benzenethiol molecules.

One-dimensional CdS nanostructures: a promising candidate for optoelectronics

As a promising candidate for optoelectronics, one-dimensional CdS nanostructures have drawn great scientific and technical interest due to their interesting fundamental properties and possibilities of utilization in novel promising optoelectronical devices with augmented performance and functionalities. This progress report highlights a selection of important topics pertinent to optoelectronical applications of one-dimensional CdS nanostructures over the last five years. This article begins with the description of rational design and controlled synthesis of CdS nanostructure arrays, alloyed nanostructucures and kinked nanowire superstructures, and then focuses on the optoelectronical properties, and applications including cathodoluminescence, lasers, light-emitting diodes, waveguides, field emitters, logic circuits, memory devices, photodetectors, gas sensors, photovoltaics and photoelectrochemistry. Finally, the general challenges and the potential future directions of this exciting area of research are highlighted.

An invisible template method toward gold regular arrays of nanoflowers by electrodeposition

A new approach, an invisible template method that is realized through controlling the interface electroconductivity of an electrode surface, is presented to synthesize gold regular arrays of nanoflowers with variable separations through further electrochemical deposition. Using polystyrene monolayer colloidal crystals as the first template, a hexagonally packed 1-hexadecanethiol pattern was self-assembled and used as an invisible template to control the interface electroconductivity. Further electrochemical deposition under appropriate conditions can easily lead to gold regular arrays of nanoflowers. This new approach demonstrates a simple route to the fabrication of novel gold micro/nanostructured arrays that may find applications as SERS active substrates, superhydrophobic materials, and so forth.

Self-assembled titanium calcium oxide nanopatterns as versatile reactive nanomasks for dry etching lithographic transfer with high selectivity

We report the simple preparation of ultra-thin self-assembled nanoperforated titanium calcium oxide films and their use as reactive nanomasks for selective dry etching of silicon. This novel reactive nanomask is composed of TiO(2) in which up to 50% of Ti was replaced by Ca (Ca(x)Ti(1-x)O(2-x)). The system was prepared by evaporation induced self-assembly of dip-coated solution of CaCl(2), TiCl(4) and poly(butadiene-block-ethylene oxide) followed by 5 min of thermal treatment at 500 °C in air. The mask exhibits enhanced selectivity by forming a CaF(2) protective layer in the presence of a chemically reactive fluorinated plasma. In particular it is demonstrated that ordered nano-arrays of dense Si pillars, or deep cylindrical wells, with high aspect ratio i.e. lateral dimensions as small as 20 nm and height up to 200 nm, can be formed. Both wells and pillars were formed by tuning the morphology and the homogeneity of the deposited mask. The mask preparation is extremely fast and simple, low-cost and easily scalable. Its combination with reactive ion etching constitutes one of the first examples of what can be achieved when sol-gel chemistry is coupled with top-down technologies. The resulting Si nanopatterns and nanostructures are of high interest for applications in many fields of nanotechnology including electronics and optics. This work extends and diversifies the toolbox of nanofabrication methods.