Search results for "electric [charge]"
showing 10 items of 729 documents
Asymmetric nanopore rectification for ion pumping, electrical power generation, and information processing applications
2011
Single-track, asymmetric nanopores can currently be functionalised with a spatially inhomogeneous distribution of fixed charges and a variety of pore tip shapes. Optimising the asymmetric nanopore characteristics is crucial for practical applications in nanofluidics. We have addressed here this question for three cases based on different input/output chemical and electrical signals: (i) ion pumping up a concentration gradient by means of a periodic, time-dependent bias potential, (ii) information processing with a single nanopore acting as the nanofluidic diode of a logic gate, and (iii) electrical energy harvesting using a nanopore that separates two solutions of different salt concentrati…
Biomolecular conjugation inside synthetic polymer nanopores via glycoprotein-lectin interactions
2011
We demonstrate the supramolecular bioconjugation of concanavalin A (Con A) protein with glycoenzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) inside single nanopores, fabricated in heavy ion tracked polymer membranes. Firstly, the HRP-enzyme was covalently immobilized on the inner wall of the pores using carbodiimide coupling chemistry. The immobilized HRP-enzyme molecules bear sugar (mannose) groups available for the binding of Con A protein. Secondly, the bioconjugation of Con A on the pore wall was achieved through its biospecific interactions with the mannose residues of the HRP enzyme. The immobilization of biomolecules inside the nanopore leads to the reduction of the available area for ionic tran…
Single cigar-shaped nanopores functionalized with amphoteric amino acid chains: experimental and theoretical characterization.
2012
We present an experimental and theoretical characterization of single cigar-shaped nanopores with pH-responsive carboxylic acid and lysine chains functionalized on the pore surface. The nanopore characterization includes (i) optical images of the nanostructure obtained by FESEM; (ii) different chemical procedures for the nanopore preparation (etching time and functionalizations; pH and electrolyte concentration of the external solution) allowing externally tunable nanopore responses monitored by the current-voltage (I-V) curves; and (iii) transport simulations obtained with a multilayer nanopore model. We show that a single, approximately symmetric nanopore can be operated as a reconfigurab…
Thermoelectric properties of atomic-thin silicene and germanene nano-structures
2014
The thermoelectric properties in one- and two-dimensional silicon and germanium structures have been investigated using first-principles density functional techniques and linear response for the thermal and electrical transport. We have considered here the two-dimensional silicene and germanene, together with nanoribbons of different widths. For the nano ribbons, we have also investigated the possibility of nano structuring these systems by mixing silicon and germanium. We found that the figure of merit at room temperature of these systems is remarkably high, up to 2.5.
Current rectification by nanoparticle blocking in single cylindrical nanopores.
2014
Blocking of a charged pore by an oppositely charged nanoparticle can support rectifying properties in a cylindrical nanopore, as opposed to the usual case of a fixed asymmetry in the pore geometry and charge distribution. We present here experimental data and model calculations to confirm this fundamental effect. The nanostructure imaging and the effects of nanoparticle concentration, pore radius, and salt concentration on the electrical conductance–voltage (G–V) curves are discussed. Logic responses based on chemical and electrical inputs/outputs could also be implemented with a single pore acting as an effective nanofluidic diode. To better show the generality of the results, different ch…
Mapping of local conductivity variations on fragile nanopillar arrays by scanning conductive torsion mode microscopy.
2010
A gentle method that combines torsion mode topography imaging with conductive scanning force microscopy is presented. By applying an electrical bias voltage between tip and sample surface, changes in the local sample conductivity can be mapped. The topography and local conductivity variations on fragile free-standing nanopillar arrays were investigated. These samples were fabricated by an anodized aluminum oxide template process using a thermally cross-linked triphenylamine-derivate semicondcutor. The nanoscale characterization method is shown to be nondestructive. Individual nanopillars were clearly resolved in topography and current images that were recorded simultaneously. Local current−…
Curvature in graphene nanoribbons generates temporally and spatially focused electric currents
2015
Today graphene nanoribbons and other graphene-based nanostructures can be synthesized with atomic precision. But while investigations have concentrated on straight graphene ribbons of fixed crystal orientation, ribbons with intrinsic curvature have remained mainly unexplored. Here, we investigate electronic transport in intrinsically curved graphene nanoribbons coupled to straight leads using two computational approaches. Stationary approach shows how transport gaps are affected both by the straight leads and by the degree of edge asymmetry in the curved ribbons. An advanced time-dependent approach shows that behind the façade of calm stationary transport the currents run violently: curvatu…
Controlling electrical percolation in multicomponent carbon nanotube dispersions
2011
Carbon nanotube reinforced polymeric composites can have favourable electrical properties, which make them useful for applications such as flat-panel displays and photovoltaic devices. However, using aqueous dispersions to fabricate composites with specific physical properties requires that the processing of the nanotube dispersion be understood and controlled while in the liquid phase. Here, using a combination of experiment and theory, we study the electrical percolation of carbon nanotubes introduced into a polymer matrix, and show that the percolation threshold can be substantially lowered by adding small quantities of a conductive polymer latex. Mixing colloidal particles of different …
Growth mechanisms and related thermoelectric properties of innovative hybrid networks fabricated by direct deposition of Bi2Se3 and Sb2Te3 on multiwa…
2020
Abstract Flexible thermoelectric generators are an emerging trend in the field of waste heat conversion, as well as wearable and autonomous devices. However, the energy conversion efficiency of the state-of-the-art flexible thermoelectric devices is too low for their wide application and commercialization. In this work, n- and p-type multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-thermoelectric material hybrid networks that may become a promising building block for the fabrication of flexible thermoelectric devices are presented. The hybrid networks were fabricated by direct deposition of thermoelectric material (Bi2Se3, Sb2Te3) on the MWCNT networks using physical vapor deposition technique. Growth m…
High Thermoelectric Power Factor Organic Thin Films through Combination of Nanotube Multilayer Assembly and Electrochemical Polymerization
2017
In an effort to produce effective thermoelectric nanocomposites with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), layer-by-layer assembly was combined with electrochemical polymerization to create synergy that would produce a high power factor. Nanolayers of MWCNT stabilized with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) or sodium deoxycholate were alternately deposited from water. Poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) [PEDOT] was then synthesized electrochemically by using this MWCNT-based multilayer thin film as the working electrode. Microscopic images show a homogeneous distribution of PEDOT around the MWCNT. The electrical resistance, conductivity (σ) and Seebeck coefficient (S) were measured before…