NIRT: Active nanofluidic manufacturing and hierarchical assembly of anisotropic nanocolloids

NIRT：各向异性纳米胶体的活性纳米流体制造和分层组装

• 批准号: 0707383
• 负责人: Michael Solomon
• 金额: $ 110万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-09-01 至 2011-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0707383&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NIRT; Active; nanofluidic; manufacturing; hierarchical

A rapidly expanding research frontier is the fluidic manufacture of anisotropic particle building blocks. Simultaneously, the concept of encoding information into the sequence, shape and symmetry of anisotropic particle building blocks so they can assemble into complex three-dimensional (3D) structures offers tremendous potential. Taken together, these two areas each represent one level of a new hierarchical assembly paradigm that can input spherical nanocolloidal precursors and, by way of anisotropic building blocks, output complex 3D terminal structures with a range of new, active functionalities. Yet, to date, the two levels of the assembly hierarchy have advanced independently on the different scales of microparticles (fabrication) and molecules (anisotropic assembly) rather than together at the nanoscale. In this project we seek to address the key fundamental scientific challenges needed to realize this hierarchical paradigm at nanoscale dimensions where there is rich new potential for applications requiring active functionality for materials in photonics, electronics and energy management. In this aim we are supported by our recent discovery that fluidic processing can be used to assemble microparticles into permanently bonded anisotropic building blocks with high sequence and shape fidelity. Our prior research has additionally shown vis simulation that anisotropic building blocks are a key foundation from which 3D terminal structures can be assembled.Building on this experience in fluidic manufacturing and anisotropic particle assembly, our work plan is organized to address four key fundamental science and engineering design questions that arise as the hierarchical assembly paradigm is extended to the nanoscale. First, to address the potential for fouling in nanofluidic channels, as particle size is reduced into the nanoscale range, we will study how anisotropic building blocks interact with fluidic channels of complex design. Second, we will harness this understanding to discover the fluidic designs that optimally produce building blocks of novel sequence, shape and chirality. Third, given that a suite of such novel building blocks are now available, and that a given complex 3D terminal structure has been targeted for assembly, we will search for optimal ways to design the anisotropic building blocks for self- and guided assembly. Finally, we will discover how to execute self- or guided- assembly operations so as to achieve the target structures from the manufactured building blocks. These objectives, each with intrinsic intellectual merit, will be addressed through an integrated research program that brings to bear our state-of-the-art capabilities in nanofabrication, fluidic manufacturing, nanocolloid assembly, direct visualization by confocal and electron microscopy and computer simulation of anisotropic building block interactions and assembly. Simultaneously, by developing new data repository and wiki cyber tools within the National Science Digital Library framework, we will create a clear conduit for dissemination of our discoveries so as to contribute to the integration of the broader national nanoscale science and engineering community, to the training and education of our students and to the improvement of the participation of underrepresented groups and low to moderate income students from the southeastern Michigan area. The broader impact of our work will be to advance the national effort in nanoscale science and engineering by creating underlying scientific understanding that enables the penetration of fluidic manufacturing and anisotropic building block assembly into the nanocolloidal size regime where potential applications are richest. Furthermore, by creating new avenues for research dissemination and learning through the framework of data repositories and wikis, we can further integrate the national research communities, our students and our region into the exciting research frontier of nanofluidic manufacturing and anisotropic building block assembly.

各向异性颗粒构件的流体制造是一个快速扩展的研究前沿。 同时，将信息编码为各向异性粒子构建块的序列、形状和对称性以便它们可以组装成复杂的三维 (3D) 结构的概念提供了巨大的潜力。 总而言之，这两个区域各自代表了新的分层组装范例的一个级别，该范例可以输入球形纳米胶体前体，并通过各向异性构建块，输出具有一系列新的活性功能的复杂 3D 终端结构。 然而，迄今为止，组装层次结构的两个层次在微粒（制造）和分子（各向异性组装）的不同尺度上独立发展，而不是在纳米尺度上共同发展。 在这个项目中，我们寻求解决在纳米尺度上实现这种分层范式所需的关键基本科学挑战，其中在光子学、电子学和能源管理领域需要材料主动功能的应用具有丰富的新潜力。 为了实现这一目标，我们最近的发现支持了我们，即流体处理可用于将微粒组装成具有高序列和形状保真度的永久粘合的各向异性构件。 我们之前的研究还通过仿真表明，各向异性构件是组装 3D 终端结构的关键基础。基于流体制造和各向异性粒子组装方面的经验，我们的工作计划旨在解决随着分层组装范式扩展到纳米尺度而出现的四个关键的基础科学和工程设计问题。 首先，为了解决纳米流体通道中潜在的污垢问题，当颗粒尺寸减小到纳米级范围时，我们将研究各向异性构件如何与复杂设计的流体通道相互作用。 其次，我们将利用这种理解来发现流体设计，以最佳方式产生新颖序列、形状和手性的构建块。 第三，鉴于现已提供一套此类新颖的构建块，并且已针对给定的复杂 3D 终端结构进行组装，我们将寻找最佳方法来设计用于自组装和引导组装的各向异性构建块。 最后，我们将探索如何执行自组装或引导组装操作，以便从制造的积木中实现目标结构。 这些目标都具有内在的智力价值，将通过一个综合研究计划来实现，该计划将利用我们在纳米加工、流体制造、纳米胶体组装、共焦和电子显微镜直接可视化以及各向异性构件相互作用和组装的计算机模拟方面最先进的能力。 同时，通过在国家科学数字图书馆框架内开发新的数据存储库和维基网络工具，我们将创建一个传播我们的发现的清晰渠道，从而为更广泛的国家纳米科学和工程界的整合、对我们学生的培训和教育以及提高密歇根州东南部地区代表性不足的群体和中低收入学生的参与做出贡献。 我们工作的更广泛影响将是通过建立基础科学理解来推进国家在纳米科学和工程方面的努力，使流体制造和各向异性构件组装渗透到潜在应用最丰富的纳米胶体尺寸领域。 此外，通过数据存储库和维基框架为研究传播和学习创造新的途径，我们可以进一步将国家研究界、我们的学生和我们的地区整合到纳米流体制造和各向异性构件组装的令人兴奋的研究前沿。