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Kojima K, Kosugi N, Jintoku H, Kobashi K, Okazaki T. Preparing a liquid crystalline dispersion of carbon nanotubes with high aspect ratio. Beilstein J Org Chem 2024; 20:52-58. [PMID: 38230355 PMCID: PMC10790658 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.20.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
We successfully prepared a surfactant-assisted carbon nanotube (CNT) liquid crystal (LC) dispersion with double-walled CNTs (DWCNTs) having a high aspect ratio (≈1378). Compared to dispersions of single-walled CNTs (SWCNTs) with lower aspect ratio, the transition concentrations from isotropic phase to biphasic state, and from biphasic state to nematic phase are lowered, which is consistent with the predictions of the Onsager theory. An aligned DWCNT film was prepared from the DWCNT dispersion by a simple bar-coating method. Regardless of the higher aspect ratio, the order parameter obtained from the film is comparable to that from SWCNTs with lower aspect ratios. This finding implies that precise control of the film formation process, including a proper selection of substrate and deposition/drying steps, is crucial to maximize the CNT-LC utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Kojima
- Nano Carbon Device Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan
| | - Nodoka Kosugi
- Nano Carbon Device Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8571, Japan
| | - Hirokuni Jintoku
- Nano Carbon Device Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan
| | - Kazufumi Kobashi
- Nano Carbon Device Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan
| | - Toshiya Okazaki
- Nano Carbon Device Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8571, Japan
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Kojima K, Aizawa M, Yamamoto T, Muroga S, Kobashi K, Okazaki T. Liquid Crystalline Behaviors of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes in an Aqueous Sodium Cholate Dispersion. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:8899-8905. [PMID: 35818087 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Controlling the alignment of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) on the macroscopic scale is critical for practical applications because SWCNTs are extremely anisotropic materials. One efficient technique is to create an effective SWCNT dispersion, which shows a liquid crystal (LC) phase. A strong acid treatment can realize SWCNT liquid crystalline dispersions. However, strong acids pose a substantial safety risk, which renders the process unfit for mass production. Herein, an isolated SWCNT dispersion displaying an LC behavior is prepared using sodium cholate without an acid treatment, and its phase transition behaviors are systematically investigated across the isotropic to biphasic to nematic phases. As the SWCNT concentration increases, the dispersion undergoes an isotropic-to-nematic phase transition in which the spindle-shaped LC droplets, or the so-called tactoids, and the Schlieren textures can be observed in the intermediate biphasic state and the nematic phase, respectively. The arrangements of SWCNTs in the tactoids and the Schlieren structures are directly investigated by polarized optical microscopy. The clear LC behaviors of the CNT dispersion suggest that the CNT orientations can be controlled by the normal surfactant-assisted method, which is a crucial advantage for the liquid-phase processing of CNT fibers and films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Kojima
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
- Nano Carbon Device Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan
| | - Miho Aizawa
- Research Institute for Sustainable Chemistry, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565, Japan
| | - Takahiro Yamamoto
- Research Institute for Sustainable Chemistry, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565, Japan
| | - Shun Muroga
- Nano Carbon Device Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan
| | - Kazufumi Kobashi
- Nano Carbon Device Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan
| | - Toshiya Okazaki
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
- Nano Carbon Device Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan
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Jinkins KR, Foradori SM, Saraswat V, Jacobberger RM, Dwyer JH, Gopalan P, Berson A, Arnold MS. Aligned 2D carbon nanotube liquid crystals for wafer-scale electronics. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabh0640. [PMID: 34516885 PMCID: PMC8442871 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh0640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Semiconducting carbon nanotubes promise faster performance and lower power consumption than Si in field-effect transistors (FETs) if they can be aligned in dense arrays. Here, we demonstrate that nanotubes collected at a liquid/liquid interface self-organize to form two-dimensional (2D) nematic liquid crystals that globally align with flow. The 2D liquid crystals are transferred onto substrates in a continuous process generating dense arrays of nanotubes aligned within ±6°, ideal for electronics. Nanotube ordering improves with increasing concentration and decreasing temperature due to the underlying liquid crystal phenomena. The excellent alignment and uniformity of the transferred assemblies enable FETs with exceptional on-state current density averaging 520 μA μm−1at only −0.6 V, and variation of only 19%. FETs with ion gel top gates demonstrate subthreshold swing as low as 60 mV decade−1. Deposition across a 10-cm substrate is achieved, evidencing the promise of 2D nanotube liquid crystals for commercial semiconductor electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R. Jinkins
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1509 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Sean M. Foradori
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1509 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Vivek Saraswat
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1509 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Robert M. Jacobberger
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1509 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jonathan H. Dwyer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1415 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Padma Gopalan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1509 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Arganthaël Berson
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1513 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Michael S. Arnold
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1509 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Draude AP, Dierking I. Thermotropic liquid crystals with low-dimensional carbon allotropes. NANO EXPRESS 2021. [DOI: 10.1088/2632-959x/abdf2d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
As display devices based on liquid crystals have matured over the last decades, liquid crystal research has shifted its priorities in slightly different directions, such as sensors, photonics, nanotechnology and even more biologically related fields like drug delivery. This implied a change of emphasis in the development of novel materials, of which a completely new class of liquid crystal based composites emerged, that of nanoparticle-dispersed liquid crystals. The underlying ideas were to add functionality, while maintaining switchability, and the exploitation of liquid crystal self-organisation to build hierarchical nanostructures. Of particular interest for applications are dispersions of carbon nanomaterials, such as fullerenes, nanotubes and the graphene variants, due to their interactions with conventional liquid crystals. While such systems have been investigated for the past two decades, we concentrate in this review on the effects of dimensionality of the dispersed carbon nanoparticles, which goes hand in hand with the more recent developments in this field. Examples are the doping of 0D fullerenes in liquid crystals and implications for Blue Phase stability, or 1D nanotubes in nematic and ferroelectric liquid crystals, questions of dispersibility and applications as alignment media in ITO-free devices. Graphene (2D) and especially graphene oxide are mainly investigated for their formation of lyotropic liquid crystals. We here discuss the more recent aspects of dispersion in thermotropics.
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Fang WZ, Peng L, Liu YJ, Wang F, Xu Z, Gao C. A Review on Graphene Oxide Two-dimensional Macromolecules: from Single Molecules to Macro-assembly. CHINESE JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10118-021-2515-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Hogan BT, Kovalska E, Zhukova MO, Yildirim M, Baranov A, Craciun MF, Baldycheva A. 2D WS 2 liquid crystals: tunable functionality enabling diverse applications. NANOSCALE 2019; 11:16886-16895. [PMID: 31483415 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr07205a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The first observation of liquid crystalline dispersions of liquid phase-exfoliated tungsten disulfide flakes is reported in a range of organic solvents. The liquid crystals demonstrate significant birefringence as observed in the linear and circular dichroism measurements respectively. In particular, linear dichroism is observed throughout the visible range while broad-band circular dichroism can be observed in the range from 500-800 nm. Under an applied magnetic field of ±1.5 T the circular dichroism can be switched ON/OFF, while the wavelength range for switching can be tuned from large to narrow range by the proper selection of the host solvent. In combination with photoluminescence capabilities of WS2, this opens a pathway to a wide variety of applications, such as deposition of highly uniform films over large areas for photovoltaic and terahertz devices.
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Pirlar MA, Mirghaed MR, Honarmand Y, Movahed SMS, Karimzadeh R. Light scattering through the graphene oxide liquid crystal in a micro-channel. OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 27:23864-23874. [PMID: 31510285 DOI: 10.1364/oe.27.023864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we examine the light scattering by the flow of levitated flakes in a micro-channel to characterize the tunable functionality of the graphene oxide liquid crystal in the nematic phase. Light interaction with the mentioned material is decomposed to the scattered and transmitted parts and they can determine the orientation of the flakes. Our results demonstrate that, pumping the graphene oxide sample through the micro-channel leads to increase the amplitude of scattered light. The time averaged of scattered light intensity grows by increasing volume fraction. We also find that, the higher volume fraction, the sooner reaching to saturated normalized scattered intensity is. To get deep insight about our experimental results, we rely on the general theoretical properties of the light scattering cross-section incorporating the fluctuation of director vector and dielectric tensor. Our proposal is a promising approach to carry out the mechanical-hydrodynamical approach for controlling the orientation of a typical liquid crystal.
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Clancy AJ, Bayazit MK, Hodge SA, Skipper NT, Howard CA, Shaffer MSP. Charged Carbon Nanomaterials: Redox Chemistries of Fullerenes, Carbon Nanotubes, and Graphenes. Chem Rev 2018; 118:7363-7408. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.8b00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Clancy
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Institute for Materials Discovery, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, U.K
| | - Mustafa K. Bayazit
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, U.K
| | - Stephen A. Hodge
- Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K
- Cambridge Graphene Centre, Engineering Department, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FA, U.K
| | - Neal T. Skipper
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
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9
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Thickness-independent capacitance of vertically aligned liquid-crystalline MXenes. Nature 2018; 557:409-412. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0109-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 688] [Impact Index Per Article: 114.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Chang C, Zhao Y, Liu Y, An L. Liquid crystallinity of carbon nanotubes. RSC Adv 2018; 8:15780-15795. [PMID: 35539493 PMCID: PMC9080064 DOI: 10.1039/c8ra00879e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we first briefly recapitulate the orientation characteristics of liquid crystalline carbon nanotubes (CNTs), emphasizing their inherent properties. Both the high Young's modulus and the strong attractive interaction between them make the liquid crystallinity apt to show splay deformations (splay defects). It is these defects that often produce apparent low-order structures for long and deformed nanotubes. However, the application of doping, shearing, magnetic or electric fields will be efficient routes toward highly ordered CNT assemblies from such defects. Then, we describe the electrical behavior of CNTs in the electric field, which combines desirable features of the CNTS with those of classical liquid crystals (LCs). An electric field will generate an induced dipole moment on CNTs and align them in the field direction, minimizing the dipolar energy. Finally, we review the potential application of CNTs in the area of liquid crystal displays (LCD). In the LC cell unit, CNTs as dopants in LC layers can have compatible stability with LCs, with the orientation consistent and with surprising complementary advantages. And also CNT films as nanostructured electrodes can substitute ITO electrodes in the LC cell unit, exhibiting a strong electrical anisotropy due to their excellent axial conductivity. Furthermore, CNT films as an alignment layer have the potential to replace the traditional PI film, aligning LC molecules effectively along the direction of the nanotubes. Besides, CNTs acting as polarizers can absorb or transmit incident light when the electric vector propagates parallel or perpendicular to the nanotube axis. All of these applications demonstrate that CNTs in LC ordering will effectively improve the performance of materials and their related devices. Thus, we should improve the ordering of CNT assemblies as far as possible, which is critical to make full use of their exceptional axial properties and further to develop novel materials and applications successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunrui Chang
- North China University of Science and Technology, College of Science Tangshan 063009 China +86 18032513036
| | - Ying Zhao
- Hebei Milestone Electronic Material Limited Company, Research and Development Department of Liquid Crystal Mixture Shijiazhuang 050600 China
| | - Ying Liu
- North China University of Science and Technology, College of Science Tangshan 063009 China +86 18032513036
| | - Libao An
- North China University of Science and Technology, College of Mechanical Engineering Tangshan 063009 China
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11
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Yuan J, Luna A, Neri W, Zakri C, Colin A, Poulin P. Giant Electrostriction of Soft Nanocomposites Based on Liquid Crystalline Graphene. ACS NANO 2018; 12:1688-1695. [PMID: 29353484 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b08332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
High electromechanical coupling is critical to perform effective conversion between mechanical and electrical energy for various applications of electrostrictive polymers. Herein, a giant electrostriction effect is reported in liquid crystalline graphene-doped dielectric elastomers. The materials are formulated by a phase-transfer method which allows the solubilization of graphenic monolayers in nonpolar solvents. Dielectric spectroscopy is combined with tensile test devices to measure the true electrostriction coefficients with differentiating the Maxwell stress effect. Because of their liquid crystal structure, the resultant composites show an ultralarge electrostriction coefficient (∼10-14 m2/V2 at 0.1 Hz) coupled with good reproducibility during cycles at high deformation rates. This work offers a promising pathway to design high-performance electrostrictive polymer composites as well as to provide insights into mechanisms of true electrostriction in electrically heterogeneous systems. The use of obtained materials as a supersensitive capacitive sensor is demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinkai Yuan
- Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux , 115 Avenue Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Alan Luna
- Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux , 115 Avenue Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Wilfrid Neri
- Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux , 115 Avenue Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Cécile Zakri
- Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux , 115 Avenue Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac, France
| | - Annie Colin
- ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Laboratoire Sciences et Ingénierie de la Matière Molle , UMR 7615, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France
| | - Philippe Poulin
- Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux , 115 Avenue Schweitzer, 33600 Pessac, France
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Dierking I, Al-Zangana S. Lyotropic Liquid Crystal Phases from Anisotropic Nanomaterials. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2017; 7:E305. [PMID: 28974025 PMCID: PMC5666470 DOI: 10.3390/nano7100305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Liquid crystals are an integral part of a mature display technology, also establishing themselves in other applications, such as spatial light modulators, telecommunication technology, photonics, or sensors, just to name a few of the non-display applications. In recent years, there has been an increasing trend to add various nanomaterials to liquid crystals, which is motivated by several aspects of materials development. (i) addition of nanomaterials can change and thus tune the properties of the liquid crystal; (ii) novel functionalities can be added to the liquid crystal; and (iii) the self-organization of the liquid crystalline state can be exploited to template ordered structures or to transfer order onto dispersed nanomaterials. Much of the research effort has been concentrated on thermotropic systems, which change order as a function of temperature. Here we review the other side of the medal, the formation and properties of ordered, anisotropic fluid phases, liquid crystals, by addition of shape-anisotropic nanomaterials to isotropic liquids. Several classes of materials will be discussed, inorganic and mineral liquid crystals, viruses, nanotubes and nanorods, as well as graphene oxide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo Dierking
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
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Kleinerman O, Liberman L, Behabtu N, Pasquali M, Cohen Y, Talmon Y. Direct Imaging of Carbon Nanotube Liquid-Crystalline Phase Development in True Solutions. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2017; 33:4011-4018. [PMID: 28376617 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b00206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Using direct-imaging cryogenic transmission and scanning electron microscopy, we show different stages of liquid-crystalline phase development in progressively more concentrated solutions of carbon nanotubes in chlorosulfonic acid: a dilute phase of individually dissolved carbon nanotubes; semidilute and concentrated isotropic phases; coexisting concentrated isotropic and nematic phases in local equilibrium with each other; and a fully liquid-crystalline phase. Nanometric resolution of cryogenic electron microscopy reveals carbon nanotube self-assembly into liquid-crystalline domains of several nanometers in width at very early stages. We find significant differences in carbon nanotube liquid-crystalline domain morphology as a function of the carbon nanotube aspect ratio, diameter, and degree of purity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Kleinerman
- Department of Chemical Engineering and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Lucy Liberman
- Department of Chemical Engineering and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Natnael Behabtu
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Materials Science & NanoEngineering, and the Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University , 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Matteo Pasquali
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Materials Science & NanoEngineering, and the Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University , 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Yachin Cohen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Yeshayahu Talmon
- Department of Chemical Engineering and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology , Haifa 3200003, Israel
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14
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Wang Y, Tang Y, Cheng P, Zhou X, Zhu Z, Liu Z, Liu D, Wang Z, Bao J. Distinguishing thermal lens effect from electronic third-order nonlinear self-phase modulation in liquid suspensions of 2D nanomaterials. NANOSCALE 2017; 9:3547-3554. [PMID: 28244522 DOI: 10.1039/c6nr08487g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The interaction of light with atomically thin nanomaterials has attracted enormous research interest in order to understand two-dimensional (2D) electron systems and develop novel opto-electronic devices. The observations of spatial self-phase modulation and the associated multiple diffraction ring patterns in liquid suspensions of 2D nanomaterials are believed to be excellent examples of strong laser interaction with 2D nanomaterials and this phenomenon has been attributed to their large electronic third-order susceptibilities. By performing a series of control experiments with liquid suspensions of graphene and graphene oxide flakes in different solvents at various temperatures under an increasing modulation frequency of laser illumination, we first show that the diffraction ring pattern has little dependence on the type of nanomaterial but strongly depends on the duration of laser illumination. A laser induced local refractive index change is then monitored by a weaker probe beam, resulting in the divergent diffraction of the probe beam that indicates a lower self-induced refractive index in the center of the pump laser beam than at its periphery: a clear signature of the thermal lens effect. Finally, we use computational fluid dynamics to simulate laser induced temperature and index changes of the suspensions. The evolution of diffraction rings is well correlated to the transient temperature distribution. Our understanding of complex laser interactions with nanomaterial suspensions and the associated thermal lens effect paves the way for further basic studies and fluid opto-electronic applications of 2D nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanan Wang
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China. and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Yingjie Tang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
| | - Peihong Cheng
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA. and School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Ningbo University of Technology, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315211, China
| | - Xufeng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Graphene Technologies and Applications of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315201, China
| | - Zhuan Zhu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
| | - Zhaoping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Graphene Technologies and Applications of Zhejiang Province, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315201, China
| | - Dong Liu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA
| | - Zhiming Wang
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China.
| | - Jiming Bao
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610054, China. and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, USA.
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15
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Dynamic in-situ sensing of fluid-dispersed 2D materials integrated on microfluidic Si chip. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42120. [PMID: 28186118 PMCID: PMC5301493 DOI: 10.1038/srep42120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In this work, we propose a novel approach for wafer-scale integration of 2D materials on CMOS photonic chip utilising methods of synthetic chemistry and microfluidics technology. We have successfully demonstrated that this approach can be used for integration of any fluid-dispersed 2D nano-objects on silicon-on-insulator photonics platform. We demonstrate for the first time that the design of an optofluidic waveguide system can be optimised to enable simultaneous in-situ Raman spectroscopy monitoring of 2D dispersed flakes during the device operation. Moreover, for the first time, we have successfully demonstrated the possibility of label-free 2D flake detection via selective enhancement of the Stokes Raman signal at specific wavelengths. We discovered an ultra-high signal sensitivity to the xyz alignment of 2D flakes within the optofluidic waveguide. This in turn enables precise in-situ alignment detection, for the first practicable realisation of 3D photonic microstructure shaping based on 2D-fluid composites and CMOS photonics platform, while also representing a useful technological tool for the control of liquid phase deposition of 2D materials.
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He X, Gao W, Xie L, Li B, Zhang Q, Lei S, Robinson JM, Hároz EH, Doorn SK, Wang W, Vajtai R, Ajayan PM, Adams WW, Hauge RH, Kono J. Wafer-scale monodomain films of spontaneously aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2016; 11:633-8. [PMID: 27043199 DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2016.44] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The one-dimensional character of electrons, phonons and excitons in individual single-walled carbon nanotubes leads to extremely anisotropic electronic, thermal and optical properties. However, despite significant efforts to develop ways to produce large-scale architectures of aligned nanotubes, macroscopic manifestations of such properties remain limited. Here, we show that large (>cm(2)) monodomain films of aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes can be prepared using slow vacuum filtration. The produced films are globally aligned within ±1.5° (a nematic order parameter of ∼1) and are highly packed, containing 1 × 10(6) nanotubes in a cross-sectional area of 1 μm(2). The method works for nanotubes synthesized by various methods, and film thickness is controllable from a few nanometres to ∼100 nm. We use the approach to create ideal polarizers in the terahertz frequency range and, by combining the method with recently developed sorting techniques, highly aligned and chirality-enriched nanotube thin-film devices. Semiconductor-enriched devices exhibit polarized light emission and polarization-dependent photocurrent, as well as anisotropic conductivities and transistor action with high on/off ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei He
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Weilu Gao
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Lijuan Xie
- College of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Bo Li
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Sidong Lei
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - John M Robinson
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Erik H Hároz
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - Stephen K Doorn
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - Weipeng Wang
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Robert Vajtai
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Pulickel M Ajayan
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - W Wade Adams
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Robert H Hauge
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Junichiro Kono
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
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17
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Bale S, Liyana-Arachchi TP, Hung FR. Molecular dynamics simulation of single-walled carbon nanotubes inside liquid crystals. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2016.1174859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shivkumar Bale
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Thilanga P. Liyana-Arachchi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Francisco R. Hung
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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18
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Frusawa H, Yoshii G. Anisotropic micro-cloths fabricated from DNA-stabilized carbon nanotubes: one-stop manufacturing with electrode needles. NANOSCALE RESEARCH LETTERS 2015; 10:107. [PMID: 25852402 PMCID: PMC4385237 DOI: 10.1186/s11671-015-0817-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Among a variety of solution-based approaches to fabricate anisotropic films of aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs), we focus on the dielectrophoretic assembly method using AC electric fields in DNA-stabilized CNT suspensions. We demonstrate that a one-stop manufacturing system using electrode needles can draw anisotropic DNA-CNT hybrid films of 10 to 100 µm in size (i.e., free-standing DNA-CNT micro-cloths) from the remaining suspension into the atmosphere while maintaining structural order. It has been found that a maximal degree of polarization (ca. 40%) can be achieved by micro-cloths fabricated from a variety of DNA-CNT mixtures. Our results suggest that the one-stop method can impart biocompatibility to the downsized CNT films and that the DNA-stabilized CNT micro-cloths directly connected to an electrode could be useful for biofuel cells in terms of electron transfer and/or enzymatic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Frusawa
- Institute for Nanotechnology, Kochi University of Technology, Tosa-Yamada, 782-8502 Kochi Japan
| | - Gen Yoshii
- Institute for Nanotechnology, Kochi University of Technology, Tosa-Yamada, 782-8502 Kochi Japan
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19
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King B, Panchapakesan B. Vacuum filtration based formation of liquid crystal films of semiconducting carbon nanotubes and high performance transistor devices. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2014; 25:175201. [PMID: 24721979 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/25/17/175201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we report ultra-thin liquid crystal films of semiconducting carbon nanotubes using a simple vacuum filtration process. Vacuum filtration of nanotubes in aqueous surfactant solution formed nematic domains on the filter membrane surface and exhibited local ordering. A 2D fast Fourier transform was used to calculate the order parameters from scanning electron microscopy images. The order parameter was observed to be sensitive to the filtration time demonstrating different regions of transformation namely nucleation of nematic domains, nanotube accumulation and large domain growth.Transmittance versus sheet resistance measurements of such films resulted in optical to dc conductivity of σ(opt)/σ(dc) = 9.01 indicative of purely semiconducting nanotube liquid crystal network.Thin films of nanotube liquid crystals with order parameters ranging from S = 0.1-0.5 were patterned into conducting channels of transistor devices which showed high I(on)/I(off) ratios from 10-19,800 and electron mobility values μ(e) = 0.3-78.8 cm(2) (V-s)(-1), hole mobility values μ(h) = 0.4-287 cm(2) (V-s)(-1). High I on/I off ratios were observed at low order parameters and film mass. A Schottky barrier transistor model is consistent with the observed transistor characteristics. Electron and hole mobilities were seen to increase with order parameters and carbon nanotube mass fractions. A fundamental tradeoff between decreasing on/off ratio and increasing mobility with increasing nanotube film mass and order parameter is therefore concluded. Increase in order parameters of nanotubes liquid crystals improved the electronic transport properties as witnessed by the increase in σ(dc)/σ(opt) values on macroscopic films and high mobilities in microscopic transistors. Liquid crystal networks of semiconducting nanotubes as demonstrated here are simple to fabricate, transparent, scalable and could find wide ranging device applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin King
- Small Systems Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
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20
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Shen TZ, Hong SH, Song JK. Electro-optical switching of graphene oxide liquid crystals with an extremely large Kerr coefficient. NATURE MATERIALS 2014; 13:394-9. [PMID: 24608144 DOI: 10.1038/nmat3888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Accepted: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The sensitive response of the nematic graphene oxide (GO) phase to external stimuli makes this phase attractive for extending the applicability of GO and reduced GO to solution processes and electro-optic devices. However, contrary to expectations, the alignment of nematic GO has been difficult to control through the application of electric fields or surface treatments. Here, we show that when interflake interactions are sufficiently weak, both the degree of microscopic ordering and the direction of macroscopic alignment of GO liquid crystals (LCs) can be readily controlled by applying low electric fields. We also show that the large polarizability anisotropy of GO and Onsager excluded-volume effect cooperatively give rise to Kerr coefficients that are about three orders of magnitude larger than the maximum value obtained so far in molecular LCs. The extremely large Kerr coefficient allowed us to fabricate electro-optic devices with macroscopic electrodes, as well as well-aligned, defect-free GO over wide areas.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jang-Kun Song
- School of Information and Communication Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Jangan-Gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746, Korea
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21
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Maiti UN, Lee WJ, Lee JM, Oh Y, Kim JY, Kim JE, Shim J, Han TH, Kim SO. 25th anniversary article: Chemically modified/doped carbon nanotubes & graphene for optimized nanostructures & nanodevices. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2014; 26:40-66. [PMID: 24123343 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201303265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 231] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Outstanding pristine properties of carbon nanotubes and graphene have limited the scope for real-life applications without precise controllability of the material structures and properties. This invited article to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Advanced Materials reviews the current research status in the chemical modification/doping of carbon nanotubes and graphene and their relevant applications with optimized structures and properties. A broad aspect of specific correlations between chemical modification/doping schemes of the graphitic carbons with their novel tunable material properties is summarized. An overview of the practical benefits from chemical modification/doping, including the controllability of electronic energy level, charge carrier density, surface energy and surface reactivity for diverse advanced applications is presented, namely flexible electronics/optoelectronics, energy conversion/storage, nanocomposites, and environmental remediation, with a particular emphasis on their optimized interfacial structures and properties. Future research direction is also proposed to surpass existing technological bottlenecks and realize idealized graphitic carbon applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uday Narayan Maiti
- Center for Nanomaterials and Chemical Reactions Institute for Basic Science, (IBS), Department of Materials Science & Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon, 305-701, Republic of Korea
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22
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Impact of graphene incorporation on the orientational order of graphene/liquid crystal composites. Chem Phys Lett 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2013.11.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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23
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Klein S, Raynes P, Sambles R. New frontiers in anisotropic fluid-particle composites. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2013; 371:20120510. [PMID: 23459969 PMCID: PMC3638374 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2012.0510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Klein
- HP Laboratories, Long Down Avenue, Stoke Gifford, Bristol BS34 8QZ, UK.
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