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ECM Protein Nanofibers and Nanostructures Engineered Using Surface-initiated Assembly
Published on: April 17, 2014
Triboelectrification-Induced Self-Assembly of Macro-Sized Polymer Beads on a Nanostructured Surface for Self-Powered
Ying Wang1,2, Xiao Yan Wei1,2, Shuang Yang Kuang1,2
1CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100083, China.
Abstract:
Here we report an electrostatic-templated self-assembly (ETSA) method for arbitrarily patterning millimeter-sized polymer beads on a nanostructured surface without using an extra voltage source. A patterned electrode underneath an electrification layer generates "potential wells" of the corresponding pattern at predefined window sites, which capture and anchor the beads within the window sites by electrostatic force. Analytical calculation is combined with numerical modeling to derive the electrostatic force acting on the beads, which is in great agreement with experimentally measured values. The generated pattern is solely determined by the predefined underlying electrode, making it arbitrarily switchable by using different electrode patterns. By transferring the assembled beads into an elastomer matrix, possible applications of the ETSA in fabricating optical and flexible displays are demonstrated.
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