Nanotransducers on printed circuit boards by rational design of high-density, long, thin and untapered ZnO nanowires

Abstract Nanotransducers can offer crucial advantages in comparison with conventional sensors and actuators. However, interfacing and packaging nanostructures into complete electronic systems is very complex. Here we describe a wet chemical method for cointegrating arrays of ZnO nanowires into systems on printed circuit boards (PCBs). First, we deposit on the PCB a MnOOH layer for reproducibly increasing the nanowires density. Afterwards, we numerically demonstrate that the ligand ethylenediamine, at the isoelectric point of the ZnO nanowires tips, can effectively control, at very low concentrations, both zinc speciation and supersaturation in the nutrient solution. Accordingly, we combine …