Carbon Nanotube Textile Fabrication by Programmable Self-Assembly

碳纳米管是一种极其精细、轻质的纤维，具有出色的强度和电学性能。通过合适的编织技术，智能碳纳米管纺织品可以实现传感、热调节、健康监测和嵌入储能的可穿戴假肢等多种功能。然而，使用目前的技术将碳纳米管编织到织物中面临着几个挑战，因为它们的长度很短，而且容易聚集成随机的簇。该奖项研究碳纳米管的可编程自组装，以克服这些挑战并制造智能纺织品和织物。制造过程依赖于液体表面张力，自动将碳纳米管编织成连续的织物。更广泛地说，该项目推进了将纳米结构自组装过程转变为可扩展的纳米制造技术所需的知识，这些技术适用于广泛的行业和产品，从而影响国家繁荣和社会。该项目让初中生、女性和少数族裔参与到工程学、生物学和艺术的交叉点上，鼓励他们开展外展项目。开发了名为Cilia的艺术和生活的新教育模块，以演示受自然启发的纤维材料的调色板及其在设计各种纹理、图案和功能中的用途。这些教育活动将材料科学和制造与艺术和设计联系起来，使用的例子从画笔和鸟毛的物理到工程材料的加工。本研究的目的是揭示碳纳米管(CNTs)在微米级工程纺织品中的毛细管自组装动力学。复杂的自组装动力学在极小的时间和空间尺度上发生，支配着这一制造过程的一致性。通过利用毛细自组装的动力学，可以实现一种新的自编织纺织制造范式。可编程自组装可以在高产量下以前所未有的精度和重复性生产碳纳米管纺织品。本项目包括利用新的数学动力学模型研究碳纳米管自编织的动力学，并通过原位高速成像进行实验验证。研究了液体的选择、织物中残留的聚合物以及织造拓扑结构等工艺条件，以开发无瑕疵的连续辊对辊自织工艺。通过高度排列的碳纳米管的可编程自组装产生了各种复杂的自织纺织架构，并研究了其在智能纹理中的应用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Carbon nanotubes are extremely fine, lightweight fibers having outstanding strength and electric properties. With suitable weaving technology, smart carbon nanotube textiles could enable multi-functionalities such as sensing, thermal regulation, health monitoring, and wearable prosthetics with embedded energy storage. However, weaving carbon nanotubes into fabrics using current technologies faces several challenges due to their short lengths and their tendency to aggregate into random clusters. This award studies programmable self-assembly of carbon nanotubes to overcome these challenges and fabricate smart textiles and fabrics. The fabrication process relies on liquid surface tension to autonomously weave carbon nanotubes into continuous fabrics. More broadly, the project advances the knowledge needed to transform nanostructure self-assembly processes to scalable nanomanufacturing technologies applicable to a wide range of industries and products, thus impacting national prosperity and society. The project engages middle and high school students, women and minorities in inspiring outreach programs at the intersection of engineering, biology and the arts. New education modules called The Art and Life of Cilia are developed to demonstrate a palette of nature-inspired fibrous materials and their use in designing various textures, patterns and functionalities. These education activities connect materials science and manufacturing to art and design using examples ranging from the physics of painting brushes and bird feathers to the processing of engineering materials. The objective of this study is to reveal the dynamics of capillary self-assembly of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into meter-scale engineering textiles. Complex self-assembly dynamics, which occur at extremely small time and spatial scales, govern the uniformity of this fabrication process. By exploiting the dynamics of capillary self-assembly, a new paradigm of textile manufacturing by self-weaving can be realized. Programmable self-assembly can produce CNT textiles with unprecedented precision and repeatability at high throughput. This project includes a study of the kinetics of CNTs self-weaving by new mathematical dynamics models and experimental validation by in situ high-speed imaging. The processing conditions, including the choice of liquid, the residual polymers in the textile, and the weaving topology, are studied towards developing continuous roll-to-roll defect-free self-weaving process. A variety of complex self-woven textile architectures are produced by the programmable self-assembly of highly aligned CNTs, and studied for applications in smart textiles.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.