NER: Selective Growth of Nanoparticles at Exposed Carbon Nanotube Tips

NER-Proposal#0508096：摘要这项研究的目标是直接在碳纳米管尖端生长纳米颗粒，用于改进纳米电极和新颖的自组装策略。该方法包括在单个碳纳米管上涂上一层化学惰性鞘，然后暴露纳米管尖端。在利用对碳的反应性增强的气体前体之后，将在尖端选择性地生长粒子。当纳米管集成在扫描探头上时，紧密的管-颗粒接触允许颗粒用于纳米级的传感。这种粒子提供了更大的区域来连接功能上的“传感”分子，以提高灵敏度，并允许探索碳基以外的化学物质来锚定。功能化的纳米电极可以触发和探测细胞或电生理流体中的信号通路。纳米管-纳米粒子半哑铃的大规模制造有望利用磁性和/或疏水-亲水相互作用在纳米尺度上进行自组装。这样的组件可能导致新的功能和材料特性。这项拟议研究的更广泛影响来自于在纳米尺度上对物质进行成像和操纵的能力。纳米电极有助于提高对生物系统中最终与生命和健康相关的信号的理解。更灵敏的纳米电极可以帮助更有效地检测对环境有重要意义的微量有毒或污染化学物质。纳米管-纳米颗粒哑铃将为组装具有更好的结构、磁性、电子和光子性能的新材料提供新的构建块。与硅量子点耦合的纳米管可能会提高太阳能的转换效率。最后，纳米管-纳米颗粒探测器为探索纳米级系统提供了一种新的工具。

NER-Proposal #0508096: Abstract The objective of this research is to grow nanoparticles directly on carbon nanotube tips for improved nanoelectrodes and novel self-assembly strategies. The approach consists in coating individual carbon nanotubes with a chemically inert sheath, then exposing the nanotube tip. Selective growth of a particle at the tip will follow utilizing gaseous precursors with enhanced reactivity towards carbon. The intimate tube-particle contact allows the particle to be used for sensing at the nanoscale when the nanotube is integrated on a scanning probe. The particle offers a larger area for the attachment of functional "sensing" molecules to increase sensitivity and allows chemistries, other than carbon-based, to be explored for anchoring. Functionalized nanoelectrodes can trigger and probe signaling pathways in cells or in electrophysiological fluids. Massive fabrication of nanotube-nanoparticle half-dumbbells bears promise for self-assembly at the nanoscale utilizing magnetic and/or hydrophobic-hydrophilic interactions. Such assemblies may lead to new functionalities and materials properties. The broader impact of the proposed research emerges from the ability to image and manipulate matter at the nanoscale. Nanoelectrodes can help improve understanding of signaling in biosystems ultimately connected with life and health. More sensitive nanoelectrodes can help detect more efficiently minute amounts of toxic or polluting chemicals of environmental importance. Nanotube-nanoparticle dumbbells will provide new building blocks for assembling new materials with improved structural, magnetic, electronic, and photonic properties. Nanotubes coupled to silicon quantum dots may increase the efficiency of solar energy conversion. Finally, nanotube-nanoparticle probes offer a new tool for exploring nanoscale systems.