Development of functional inks using hybrid nanoparticles for disruptive applications

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Due to advancements in nanotechnology, we are in an era of ever increasing miniaturization. Smaller and smaller micro- and nanoscale mechanical, electronic and optical components are being manufactured that have functionalities comparable to their larger mesoscale versions. Nanomaterials are the fundamental building blocks of nanotechnology, where materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, metal and metal-oxide nanoparticles (NPs) offer advantages and limitations. ******To fabricate functional materials and devices, different NPs must be (1) organized in specific ways, and (2) thereafter combined together to form multifunctional materials and devices. For NP organization, we draw inspiration from nature, e.g., fish tails, insect wings, abalone shell and bone, where the precise orientation and layering of NPs produces microstructures that define the behavior and properties of a material. Different organizations of NPs within a material produce different ways of controlling wettability, pore structure, optical reflectivity and adhesion. Different NPs can also be simultaneously synthesized together to create hybrid nanoparticles (hNPs) that combine the advantages of their primary NP constituents. ******The long term vision of this project is to develop scalable methods for producing a wide range of hNPs for engineering applications. This Discovery Grant will (a) investigate the optimum processing conditions for in-situ functionalization of the exterior surfaces of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with polymer coatings, biomolecules and other NPs to produce hNPs, (b) produce stable functional inks with the synthesized hNPs for various physical and biological applications, (c) utilize passive means to control the microstructures of the hNPs, and (d) investigate the performance of the functional inks for emerging applications, including chemical sensors, printed electronics and energy storage devices.******Overall, the research will enable the design and fabrication of functional inks for engineering applications. Using an ink, one could, for instance, imagine a rechargeable battery printed with the ink into a structure of thickness comparable to that of a business card, where a thin surface film contains all of the printed electronics. Such a device would be capable of responding to its environment by sensing, for example, chemicals, biomolecules, temperature and human interactions. The research results contain the promise of being translated into innovative applications based on the understanding of multiple disciplines. We will involve five HQPs, i.e., three PhD students, an undergraduate researcher and a postdoctoral researcher, to perform this interdisciplinary research across materials chemistry, magnetics, nanoscience, device testing, materials characterization and experimentation.*****