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Highlights 2011
Why publish with Nanotechnology?

1. HIGH IMPACT The growth in the number of published articles has been accompanied by an impressive increase in the impact factor. Nanotechnology has an impact factor of 3.652 as listed by the ISI 2010 Science Citation Index Journal Citation Report. 2. FAST PUBLICATION Our peer review process is rigorous and efficient, with an average receipt to first decision time of just 23 days. 3. WOrk WITH THe BeST IN THe WOrLd Nanotechnology features top research from institutions throughout the world; only 20% of submitted articles are accepted for publication. ANd THATS NOT ALL By publishing your paper with Nanotechnology you can take advantage of a number of other benefits including:
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Nanotechnology Highlights 2011
Impact factor
4.0 4.0 4.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Dear colleagues, It has been a big year for Nanotechnology. Still one of the few weekly publications in the field of nanoscience and technology, the impact of the journal is continuing to grow. The 2010 impact factor (as listed in the ISI Journals Citation Report) rose to 3.652, the highest so far. The result is particularly pleasing in view of the large number of papers published in comparison with other journals in the field. A stricter editorial policy is in place. Only around 20% of submitted papers are accepted. An increase in editorial filtering before peer review has helped us to ease the strain on the researchers we use as referees, as well as minimizing delays. Despite the large number of papers submitted each week, most still receive a first decision within 23 days of receipt. We are also refining the journals scope. An emphasis on potential technological applications is required for papers to be considered for Nanotechnology. This is in line with how the journal is generally perceived in the community, and clarifies our position in a field that continues to expand and develop with research from a large range of disciplines. Another amendment to the scope is the introduction of a new energy section in spring 2011. This is dedicated to all fundamental insights and technological innovations that advance energy generation and storage. A number of new online features for material in the journal are imminent as part of IOP Publishings article evolution program. These include a new functionality for viewing articles on IOPscience as a HTML page, video abstracts and a zoom function for images. Nanotechnology continues to receive considerable recognition in the general media and a number of press releases over the year have helped to ensure that our articles feature regularly in the public eye. Recognition has also been afforded to a former Editor-in-Chief of Nanotechnology, Mark Welland, who received a knighthood in Queen Elizabeths birthday honours in the UK. This highlights brochure provides just a taster of the leading research in the field over the past year. And of course theres plenty more where that came from at www.iopscience.org/nano.
Mark Reed Editor-in-chief, Nanotechnology E-mail nano@iop.org iopscience.org/nano
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Subject distribution
Biology and medicine Electronics and photonics Energy and nanoscale Biology and nanofabrication Patterning and medicine Electronics medicine Sensing and actuating Biology and and photonics Energy synthesis or self Materials:andand photonicsassembly Electronics nanoscale Patterning nanoscale Materials: properties, characterization Energy andand nanofabrication Sensing and actuating orPatterning and nanofabrication tools Materials: synthesis or Sensing and actuating self assembly Materials: properties, self assembly Materials: synthesis orcharacterization or tools Materials: properties, characterization or tools
Cover image: The relationship between the size of the area of interaction (rnc non-contact mode) and the fraction of the energy dissipated (p) for an interaction force at d=1nm and for R=20 nm. Sergio Santos et al 2011 Nanotechnology 22 345401.
Nanotechnology
Contents
Biology and medicine
A conceptually new type of bio-hybrid scaffold for bone regeneration
A Tampieri, E Landi, F Valentini, M Sandri, T DAlessandro, V Dediu and M Marcacci
Surface functionalization of PLGA nanoparticles by non-covalent insertion of a homo-bifunctional spacer for active targeting in cancer therapy
S I Thamake, S L Raut, A P Ranjan, Z Gryczynski and J K Vishwanatha
Amphiphilic polymer-coated hybrid nanoparticles as CT/MRI dual contrast agents

Dongkyu Kim, Mi Kyung Yu, Tae Sup Lee, Jae Jun Park, Yong Yeon Jeong and Sangyong Jon
Control of neuronal network organization by chemical surface functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotube arrays
Jie Liu, Florence Appaix, Olivier Bibari, Gilles Marchand, Alim-Louis Benabid, Fabien Sauter-Starace and Michel De Waard
10
A novel cationic liposome formulation for efficient gene delivery via a pulmonary route
Peng Li, Donghua Liu, Xiaoli Sun, Chunxi Liu, Yongjun Liu and Na Zhang
10
Depth-sensing nano-indentation on a myelinated axon at various stages

Wei-Chin Huang, Jiunn-Der Liao, Chou-Ching K Lin and Ming-Shaung Ju
10
electronics and photonics
Sponsored by
Improved conversion efficiency of CdS quantum dots-sensitized TiO2 nanotube array using ZnO energy barrier layer
Chong Chen, Yi Xie, Ghafar Ali, SeungHwa Yoo and SungOh Cho
12
Combined micro- and nano-scale surface textures for enhanced near-infrared light harvesting in silicon photovoltaics
Chia-Hua Chang, Peichen Yu, Min-Hsiang Hsu, Ping-Cheng Tseng, Wei-Lun Chang,Wen-Ching Sun, Wei-Chih Hsu, Shih-Hsin Hsu and Yia-Chung Chang
12
Magnetization dynamics, Bennett clocking and associated energy dissipation in multiferroic logic
Mohammad Salehi Fashami, Kuntal Roy, Jayasimha Atulasimha and Supriyo Bandyopadhyay
13
Large scale, highly conductive and patterned transparent films of silver nanowires on arbitrary substrates and their application in touch screens
Anuj R Madaria, Akshay Kumar and Chongwu Zhou
13
Optical properties of quantum-dot-decorated polymer nanofibers

Huaqing Yu, Rui Zhang and Baojun Li
14
Capacity based nondestructive readout for complementary resistive switches

S Tappertzhofen, E Linn, L Nielen, R Rosezin, F Lentz, R Bruchhaus, I Valov, U Bttger and R Waser
14
Nanotechnology
energy at the nanoscale

Reversible degradation of inverted organic solar cells by concentrated sunlight
Thomas Tromholt, Assaf Manor, Eugene A Katz and Frederik C Krebs
16
Obviating the requirement for oxygen in SnO2-based solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells
Pablo Docampo and Henry J Snaith
16
Nanosilicon in water as a source of hydrogen: size and pH matter

Bernhard Goller, Dmitry Kovalev and Olga Sreseli
16
Hydrogen storage inside graphene-oxide frameworks

Yue Chan and James M Hill
17
How localized are energy dissipation processes in nanoscale interactions?

Sergio Santos, Victor Barcons, Albert Verdaguer, Josep Font, Neil H Thomson and Matteo Chiesa
17
Supercritical fluid deposition of vanadium oxide on multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) buckypaper for supercapacitor electrode application
Quyet Huu Do, Changchun Zeng, Chuck Zhang, Ben Wang and Jim Zheng
17
Patterning and nanofabrication
Sponsored by
Nanoimprinting lithography of a two-layer phase mask for three-dimensional photonic structure holographic fabrications via single exposure
Di Xu, Kevin P Chen, Kris Ohlinger and Yuankun Lin
19
Fabrication and characterization of bit-patterned media beyond 1.5 Tbit/in2

Joel K WYang, Yunjie Chen, Tianli Huang, Huigao Duan, Naganivetha Thiyagarajah, Hui Kim Hui, SiangHueiLeong and Vivian Ng
19
Spin-wave interference patterns created by spin-torque nano-oscillators for memory and computation
Ferran Maci, Andrew D Kent and Frank C Hoppensteadt
19
Focused ion beam-fabricated Au micro/nanostructures used as a surface enhanced Raman scattering-active substrate for trace detection of molecules and influenza virus
Ying-Yi Lin, Jiunn-Der Liao, Yu-Hung Ju, Chia-Wei Chang and Ai-Li Shiau
20
Rapid turnaround scanning probe nanolithography

Philip C Paul, Armin W Knoll, Felix Holzner, Michel Despont and Urs Duerig
20
Single and multilayer metamaterials fabricated by nanoimprint lithography

I Bergmair, B Dastmalchi, M Bergmair, A Saeed, W Hilber, G Hesser, C Helgert, E Pshenay-Severin, T Pertsch, E B Kley, U Hbner, N H Shen, R Penciu, M Kafesaki, C M Soukoulis, K Hingerl, M Muehlberger and R Schoeftner
20
Nanotechnology
Sensing and actuating

A carbon-nanotube-based sensor array for formaldehyde detection
Yijiang Lu, M Meyyappan and Jing L
22
Multi-physics damage sensing in nano-engineered structural composites

Roberto Guzmn de Villoria, Namiko Yamamoto, Antonio Miravete and Brian L Wardle
22
Surface imaging using holographic optical tweezers

D B Phillips, J A Grieve, S N Olof, S J Kocher, R Bowman, M J Padgett, M J Miles and D M Carberry
22
Silicon nanowire arrays as learning chemical vapour classifiers

A O Niskanen, A Colli, R White, H W Li, E Spigone and J M Kivioja
23
Mass and stiffness calibration of nanowires using thermally driven vibration

D R Kiracofe, M M Yazdanpanah and A Raman
23
Periodically porous top electrodes on vertical nanowire arrays for highly sensitive gas detection
Hyun Jin In, Christopher R Field and Pehr E Pehrsson
23
Materials: synthesis or self-assembly
Sponsored by
Selective-area catalyst-free MBE growth of GaN nanowires using a patterned oxide layer
T Schumann, T Gotschke, F Limbach, T Stoica and R Calarco
25
Utilizing boron nitride sheets as thin supports for high resolution imaging of nanocrystals
Yimin A Wu, Angus I Kirkland, Franziska Schffel, Kyriakos Porfyrakis, Neil P Young, G Andrew D Briggs and Jamie H Warner
25
Role of proteins in controlling selenium nanoparticle size

J Dobias, E I Suvorova and R Bernier-Latmani
25
Electrostatic and capillary force directed tunable 3D binary micro- and nanoparticle assemblies on surfaces
G Singh, S Pillai, A Arpanaei and P Kingshott
26
Hydrothermally grown ZnO nanostructures on few-layer graphene sheets

Yong-Jin Kim, Hadiyawarman, Aram Yoon, Miyoung Kim, Gyu-Chul Yi and Chunli Liu
26
Direct growth of tellurium nanorod arrays on Pt/FTO/glass through a surfactant-assisted chemical reduction
Hongmei Liu, Boming Zeng and Falong Jia
26
Nanotechnology
Materials: properties, characterization or tools

The synthesis of newly modified CdTe quantum dots and their application for improvement of latent fingerprint detection
Feng Gao, Jiaxing Han, Jun Zhang, Qun Li, Xiufeng Sun, Jincheng Zheng, Liru Bao, Xin Li and Zhiliang Liu
28
Improvement of toughness and electrical properties of epoxy composites with carbon nanotubes prepared by industrially relevant processes
R Hollertz, S Chatterjee, H Gutmann, T Geiger, F A Nesch and B T T Chu
28
Force scanning: a rapid, high-resolution approach for spatial mechanical property mapping
E M Darling
29
Laser treatment of solution-deposited carbon nanotube thin films for improved conductivity and transparency
Myungo Joo and Myeongkyu Lee
29
Magnetic properties of nanomagnetic and biomagnetic systems analyzed using cantilever magnetometry
Urs Gysin, Simon Rast, Andreas Aste, Thanassis Speliotis, Christoph Werle and Ernst Meyer
30
Probing near-surface nanoscale mechanical properties of low modulus materials using a quartz crystal resonator atomic force microscope
Yen Peng Kong, Ling Chen and Albert F Yee
30
Media coverage
The switching location of a bipolar memristor: chemical, thermal and structural mapping
John Paul Strachan, Dmitri B Strukov, Julien Borghetti, J Joshua Yang, Gilberto Medeiros-Ribeiro and R Stanley Williams
31
Mirage effect from thermally modulated transparent carbon nanotube sheets

Ali E Aliev, Yuri N Gartstein and Ray H Baughman
31
editorial board
Editorial board and team members 32
Nanotechnology

The axe and leeches of ancient medicine have given way to a number of less invasive and more sophisticated treatments. When it comes to navigating the intricacies of biological systems, the scale and properties of structures and techniques used in nanotechnology have obvious advantages. Researchers in Taiwan have used nano-indentation to characterize the structure of the multilayered myelin sheath, the layers of fatty membrane that enfold an axon and play a critical role in the transmission of nerve impulses. They identify three stages in myelination. The method can be used to evaluate the development stages of myelination or demyelination during nerve regeneration. In Italy researchers have presented a conceptually new approach for bone regeneration. They prepared bio-hybrid hydroxyapatite/collagen scaffolds by a biologically inspired mineralization process. The researchers incorporate magnetic nanoparticles directly during the stage of hydroxyapatite nucleation. The magnetic nanoparticles become an intrinsic component of the scaffold considerably improving the biocompatibility. Researchers in Texas in the US report the surface functionalization of polymer nanoparticles with the protein annexin A2 by non-covalent insertion of a homobifunctional chemical crosslinker for targeted cancer therapy. Overexpression of annexin A2 in cancer cells has been shown to lead to metastasis and migration. Attaching the annexin A2 antibody to the nanoparticles as a targeting moiety enhanced the release of the drug curcumin. The cellular uptake of nanoparticles was also significantly higher in annexin A2 positive cells than in negative cells. The results demonstrate the potential use of this method for nanoparticle functionalization and delivering chemotherapeutic agents for cancer treatment. Cationic liposomes have recently proved effective gene carriers. Researchers at Shandong University in China have prepared a cationic liposome with a narrow particle size distribution and strong DNA binding capability. The liposome proved less cytotoxic than other liposomes with comparable transfection efficiency. Intratracheal instillation further improved the efficiency for pulmonary gene delivery. The potential for applying nanotechnology in disease diagnosis and treatment is clear. This selection of highlights underlines just how far research has come in realizing that potential.
This section of Nanotechnology focuses on the forefront of nanoscaled materials and techniques in biological and medical research. Biological applications of nanotechnology have garnered significant attention in recent years for their potential benefits in emerging fields of biotechnology and medicine, and consequently this section includes some of the most-read and most-cited articles in the journal. We welcome submissions of innovative work in a variety of fields including but not limited to the use of nanoparticles as delivery vehicles for drugs or gene therapies, nanoscale materials for directing cell phenotype and function, Section Editor: Jeff Karp nanoscale materials used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, nanostructured medical devices, the use of DNA to create useful materials, the development of nanoscale approaches for biosensing or diagnostic applications, the use of nanomaterials for probing biological processes, investigations of the metabolic behaviour and biosafety of nanotechnology and novel methods for high-resolution cell and tissue imaging. Published material covers both in vivo and in vitro investigations, maintaining excellent standards of novelty and interest.
Section scope
Nanotechnology
A conceptually new type of bio-hybrid scaffold for bone regeneration

A Tampieri, E Landi, F Valentini, M Sandri, T DAlessandro, V Dediu and M Marcacci
2011 Nanotechnology 22 015104 Magnetic bio-hybrid porous scaffolds have been synthesized, nucleating nano-apatite in situ on selfassembling collagen, in the presence of magnetite nano-particles. The magnetic phase acted as a sort of cross-linking agent for the collagen, inducing a chemico-physical-mechanical stabilization of the material and allowing us to control the porosity network of the scaffold. Gradients of bio-mineralization and magnetization were also developed for osteochondral application. The good potentiality of the material as a biomedical device, able to offer assistance to bone regeneration through scaffold reloading with specific factors guided by an external magnetic field, has been preliminarily investigated. Up to now the proof of this concept has been realized through in vitro assessments.
ESEM image showing a non-cross linked magnetic hydroxyapatite/ collagen composite.
Surface functionalization of PLGA nanoparticles by non-covalent insertion of a homo-bifunctional spacer for active targeting in cancer therapy
S I Thamake, S L Raut, A P Ranjan, Z Gryczynski and J K Vishwanatha
2011 Nanotechnology 22 035101 This work reports the surface functionalization of polymeric PLGA nanoparticles by non-covalent insertion of a homo-bifunctional chemical crosslinker, bis(sulfosuccinimidyl) suberate (BS3) for targeted cancer therapy. We dissolved BS3 in aqueous solution of PVA during formulation of nanoparticles by a modified solid/oil/water emulsion solvent evaporation method. The non-covalent insertion of BS3 was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Curcumin and annexin A2 were used as a model drug and a cell specific target, respectively. Nanoparticles were characterized for particle size, zeta potential and surface morphology. The qualitative assessment of antibody attachment was performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as confocal microscopy. The optimized formulation showed antibody attachment of 86%. However, antibody attachment was abolished upon blocking the functional groups of BS3. The availability of functional antibodies was evaluated by the presence of a light chain fraction after gel electrophoresis. We further evaluated the in vitro release kinetics of curcumin from antibody coated and uncoated nanoparticles. The release of curcumin is enhanced upon antibody attachment and followed an anomalous release pattern. We also observed that the cellular uptake of nanoparticles was significantly higher in annexin A2 positive cells than in negative cells. Therefore, these results demonstrate the potential use of this method for functionalization as well as to deliver chemotherapeutic agents for treating cancer.
Confocal microscopy image of antibody coated PLGA nanoparticles. In this instance the PLGA nanoparticles are first covered with Nile red stained particles and then coated with alexa 488 conjugated antibodies.
Amphiphilic polymer-coated hybrid nanoparticles as CT/MRI dual contrast agents

Dongkyu Kim, Mi Kyung Yu, Tae Sup Lee, Jae Jun Park, Yong Yeon Jeong and Sangyong Jon
2011 Nanotechnology 22 155101 We describe hybrid nanoparticles, composed of iron oxide and gold nanoparticles, as potential dual contrast agents for both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The hybrid nanoparticles are synthesized by thermal decomposition of mixtures of Fe-oleate and Au-oleylamine complexes. Using a nano-emulsion method, the nanoparticles are coated with amphiphilic poly(DMA-rmPEGMA-r-MA) to impart water-dispersity and antibiofouling properties. An in vitro phantom study shows that the hybrid nanoparticles have high CT attenuation, because of the constituent gold nanoparticles, and afford a good MR signal, attributable to the contained iron oxide nanoparticles. Intravenous injection of the hybrid nanoparticles into hepatoma-bearing mice results in high contrast between the hepatoma and normal hepatic parenchyma in both CT and MRI. These results suggest that the hybrid nanoparticles may be useful as CT/MRI dual contrast agents for in vivo hepatoma imaging.
Nanotechnology
TEM image of hybrid AuFe 3O4 nanoparticles after coating with poly(DMA-r -mPEGMA-r-MA). The scale bar indicated 20nm.
Control of neuronal network organization by chemical surface functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotube arrays
Jie Liu, Florence Appaix, Olivier Bibari, Gilles Marchand, Alim-Louis Benabid, Fabien Sauter-Starace and Michel De Waard
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2011 Nanotechnology 22 195101 Carbon nanotube substrates are promising candidates for biological applications and devices. Interfacing of these carbon nanotubes with neurons can be controlled by chemical modifications. In this study, we investigated how chemical surface functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotube arrays (MWNT-A) influences neuronal adhesion and network organization. Functionalization of MWNT-A dramatically modifies the length of neurite fascicles, cluster inter-connection success rate, and the percentage of neurites that escape from the clusters. We propose that chemical functionalization represents a method of choice for developing applications in which neuronal patterning on MWNT-A substrates is required.
Confocal microscopy image of neuronal cluster illustrating clusteremerging neurite organisation. The green areas show Alexa488 labelling and the red, To-Pro3 staining.
A novel cationic liposome formulation for efficient gene delivery via a pulmonary route
Peng Li, Donghua Liu, Xiaoli Sun, Chunxi Liu, Yongjun Liu and Na Zhang
2011 Nanotechnology 22 245104 The clinical success of gene therapy for lung cancer is not only dependent on efficient gene carriers but also on a suitable delivery route. A pulmonary delivery route can directly deliver gene vectors to the lung which is more efficient than a systemic delivery route. For gene carriers, cationic liposomes have recently emerged as leading non-viral vectors in worldwide gene therapy clinical trials. However, cytotoxic effects or apoptosis are often observed which is mostly dependent on the cationic lipid used. Therefore, an efficient and safe cationic lipid, 6-lauroxyhexyl lysinate (LHLN), previously synthesized by our group was first used to prepare cationic liposomes. Physicochemical and biological properties of LHLN-liposomes were investigated. LHLN-liposome/DNA complexes showed positive surface charge, spherical morphology, a relatively narrow particle size distribution and strong DNA binding capability. Compared with Lipofectamine2000, the new cationic liposome formulation using LHLN exhibited not only lower cytotoxicity (P < 0.05) but also similar transfection efficiency in A549 and HepG2 lung cancer cells for in vitro tests. When administered by intratracheal instillation into rat lungs for in vivo evaluation, LHLN-liposome/DNA complexes exhibited higher pulmonary gene transfection efficiency than Lipofectamine2000/DNA complexes (P < 0.05). These results suggested that LHLN-liposomes may have great potential for efficient pulmonary gene delivery.
Fluorescent image of cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids transfected with Lipofectamine/DNA and LHLN-liposome/DNA complexes. The gene expression was examined 48 hours posttransfection.
Depth-sensing nano-indentation on a myelinated axon at various stages

Wei-Chin Huang, Jiunn-Der Liao, Chou-Ching K Lin and Ming-Shaung Ju
2011 Nanotechnology 22 275101 A nano-mechanical characterization of a multi-layered myelin sheath structure, which enfolds an axon and plays a critical role in the transmission of nerve impulses, is conducted. Schwann cells co-cultured in vitro with PC12 cells for various co-culture times are differentiated to form a myelinated axon, which is then observed using a transmission electron microscope. Three major myelination stages, with distinct structural characteristics and thicknesses around the axon, can be produced by varying the co-culture time. A dynamic contact module and continuous depthsensing nano-indentation are used on the myelinated structure to obtain the load-on-sample versus measured displacement curve of a multi-layered myelin sheath, which is used to determine the work required for the nano-indentation tip to penetrate the myelin sheath. By analyzing the harmonic contact stiffness versus the measured displacement profile, the results can be used to estimate the three stages of the multi-layered structure on a myelinated axon. The method can also be used to evaluate the development stages of myelination or demyelination during nerve regeneration.
TEM image of a fixed axon after co-culture for 17 days. The blue arrow indicates Myelin while the red arrow shows the periaxonal space. This image shows the multi-layer structure of M-II; the myelination process results in a dense outermost layer and an inner periaxonal space structure. Scale bar is 1 m.
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Nanotechnology
Electronics and photonics

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Electronics is arguably the industry with the most consumer awareness of nanotechnology. From music players for disco divas to sattelite navigation for hikers, there are few functions that people would not expect to have available on their smart phone. These increasingly sophisticated devices have been facilitated by developments in a broad range of fields in nanoscale electronics and photonics. Theres good news for touch screen users as researchers in the US demonstrate a simple spray deposition technique for fabricating a Ag nanowire thin film that can be used as a transparent conducting electrode. The film is cheap and easy to fabricate and production may be scaled up to large areas. In addition, the conductivity of the film was better than other examples based on carbon nanotubes and graphene. Energy efficiency is an increasingly important factor as devices are scaled down in size. Nanomagnets present the potential to improve the efficiency of logic gates. Supriyo Bandyopadhyay and researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University in the US consider how the magnetization of a nanomagnet in a piezoelectric layer
can be rotated by applying a few millivolts, and solve the LandauLifshitzGilbert (LLG) equation to find the switching delays in the associated bit flips and clock rate. Resistive switching nanostructures are providing new non-volatile memory architectures. In May 2011 we published a special issue dedicated to the latest cutting-edge developments in the field. Among the work published was a paper by researchers at HP Labs in the US that provided insights into the mechanism behind the resistive switching TiO2-based devices. More recently, researchers in Germany have devised a new measurement approach that gets around the destructive read-out of current-based methods, easing material endurance requirements while providing a more energy efficient solution. Advances in electronics are pushing at the boundaries in all directions, with a resulting rate of technological developments that is awesome to both researchers and consumers alike. Be it on your PC, smart phone or a free sample hard copy, theres a wealth of fascinating new developments to browse in the electronics and photonics section of this years Nanotechnology highlights.
Nanoscale materials and systems are an increasingly integral feature of advances in electronics and photonics device technology. Shrinking device footprints and novel optical device elements have transformed the products available to consumers and industry, as well as catalysing rapid progress in our understanding of the fundamental physics at the heart of nanoscale systems. This section is dedicated to research into new and improved electronic and photonic devices and the advances in our understanding of nanostructure properties that fuel the progress. Only Section Editor: Meyya Meyyappan reports describing a clear and significant advance in the field may be considered for publication as a regular paper. Research published in the section deals with a number of fields including plasmonics, non-volatile memory devices, LEDs, understanding and manipulating fluorescence, novel photonic sources and detectors, the interaction of low-dimensional systems with light and electric fields and the potential for optoelectronic interfacing, as well as the physics that underlines these systems, and much more.
Section scope
Nanotechnology
11
Improved conversion efficiency of CdS quantum dots-sensitized TiO2 nanotube array using ZnO energy barrier layer
Chong Chen, Yi Xie, Ghafar Ali, SeungHwa Yoo and SungOh Cho
2011 Nanotechnology 22 015202 We report that the use of a chemically deposited ZnO energy barrier between a CdS quantum dot sensitizer and TiO2 nanotubes (TNTs) can improve the efficiency of quantum dots-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). The experimental results show that the formation of the ZnO layers over TNTs significantly improved the performances of the CdS QDSCs based on the TNTs electrodes. In particular, a maximum photoconversion efficiency of 4.6% was achieved for the CdS/ZnO/TNTs electrode under UVvisible light illumination, corresponding to an increase of 43.7% as compared to the CdS/TNTs electrode without the ZnO layers. The improved CdS QDSCs efficiency is attributed to the suppressed recombination of photoinjected electrons with redox ions from the electrolyte resulting from the ZnO energy barrier layers.
Top view SEM image of a CdS(10)/ZnO/TNTs film showing that a well-ordered pore structure exists.
Combined micro- and nano-scale surface textures for enhanced near-infrared light harvesting in silicon photovoltaics
Chia-Hua Chang, Peichen Yu, Min-Hsiang Hsu, Ping-Cheng Tseng, Wei-Lun Chang,Wen-Ching Sun, Wei-Chih Hsu, Shih-Hsin Hsu and Yia-Chung Chang
2011 Nanotechnology 22 095201 As silicon photovoltaics evolve towards thin-wafer technologies, efficient optical absorption for the near-infrared wavelengths has become particularly challenging. In this work, we present a solution that employs combined micro- and nano-scale surface textures to increase light harvesting in the near-infrared for crystalline silicon photovoltaics, and discuss the associated antireflection and scattering mechanisms. The surface textures are achieved by uniformly depositing a layer of indiumtin-oxide nanowhiskers on micro-grooved silicon substrates using electron-beam evaporation. The nanowhiskers facilitate optical transmission in the near-infrared by functioning as impedance matching layers with effective refractive indices gradually varying from 1 to 1.3. Materials with such unique refractive index characteristics are not readily available in nature. As a result, the solar cell with combined textures achieves over 90% external quantum efficiencies for a broad wavelength range of 460980 nm, which is crucial to the development of advanced thin-substrate silicon solar cells.
A titled top view scanning electron micrographs of indium-tin-oxide nanowhiskers deposited on a passivated, micro-grooved silicon solar cell. The scalar bars are 4 m in length.
This is absolutely terrific, thank you very much for promoting our work on nanotechweb.org. Stefan Harrer IBM Research Division, TJ Watson Research Center (e-mail sharrer@us.ibm.com)
Passivated nanopores withstand extreme voltages
http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/lab/46476
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Nanotechnology
Magnetization dynamics, Bennett clocking and associated energy dissipation in multiferroic logic
Mohammad Salehi Fashami, Kuntal Roy, Jayasimha Atulasimha and Supriyo Bandyopadhyay
2011 Nanotechnology 22 155201 It has been recently shown that the magnetization of a multiferroic nanomagnet, consisting of a magnetostrictive layer elastically coupled to a piezoelectric layer, can be rotated by a large angle if a tiny voltage of a few tens of millivolts is applied to the piezoelectric layer. The potential generates stress in the magnetostrictive layer and rotates its magnetization by 90 to implement Bennett clocking in nanomagnetic logic chains. Because of the small voltage needed, this clocking method is far more energy efficient than those that would employ spin transfer torque or magnetic fields to rotate the magnetization. In order to assess if such a clocking scheme can also be reasonably fast, we have studied the magnetization dynamics of a multiferroic logic chain with nearest-neighbor dipole coupling using the LandauLifshitzGilbert (LLG) equation. We find that clock rates of 2.5 GHz are feasible while still maintaining the exceptionally high energy efficiency. For this clock rate, the energy dissipated per clock cycle per bit flip is 52 000 kT at room temperature in the clocking circuit for properly designed nanomagnets. Had we used spin transfer torque to clock at the same rate, the energy dissipated per clock cycle per bit flip would have been 4 108 kT, while with current transistor technology we would have expended 106 kT. For slower clock rates of 1 GHz, stress-based clocking will dissipate only 200 kT of energy per clock cycle per bit flip, while spin transfer torque would dissipate about 108 kT. This shows that multiferroic nanomagnetic logic, clocked with voltage-generated stress, can emerge as a very attractive technique for computing and signal processing since it can be several orders of magnitude more energy efficient than current technologies.
Three-dimensional plot of magnetization components of a nanomagnet showing the spatial excursion of the tip of the magnetization vector.
Large scale, highly conductive and patterned transparent films of silver nanowires on arbitrary substrates and their application in touch screens
Anuj R Madaria, Akshay Kumar and Chongwu Zhou
na
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2011 Nanotechnology 22 245201 The application of silver nanowire films as transparent conductive electrodes has shown promising results recently. In this paper, we demonstrate the application of a simple spray coating technique to obtain large scale, highly uniform and conductive silver nanowire films on arbitrary substrates. We also integrated a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-assisted contact transfer technique with spray coating, which allowed us to obtain large scale high quality patterned films of silver nanowires. The transparency and conductivity of the films was controlled by the volume of the dispersion used in spraying and the substrate area. We note that the optoelectrical property, DC/Op, for various films fabricated was in the range 75350, which is extremely high for transparent thin film compared to other candidate alternatives to doped metal oxide film. Using this method, we obtain silver nanowire films on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate with a transparency of 85% and sheet resistance of 33 /sq, which is comparable to that of tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) on flexible substrates. In-depth analysis of the film shows a high performance using another commonly used figure-of-merit, TE. Also, Ag nanowire film/PET shows good mechanical flexibility and the application of such a conductive silver nanowire film as an electrode in a touch panel has been demonstrated.
SEM image of the Ag nanowire network, showing nanowire distribution on an individual fiber.
Nanotechnology
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Optical properties of quantum-dot-decorated polymer nanofibers

Huaqing Yu, Rui Zhang and Baojun Li
2011 Nanotechnology 22 335202 We report a one-step process for decorating poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) nanofibers with CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots (QDs). Using the QD-decorated PTT nanofibers with diameters of 400800 nm as active subwavelength waveguides, their high photostability for 630 nm red light and low absorption coefficient down to 2.6 cm1 were characterized by both evanescent waveguiding excitation and irradiation excitation. Compared with the irradiation excitation, a 200 times enhancement was obtained from the active subwavelength waveguides under the evanescent waveguiding excitation.
Optical microscope image of the quantum dot-decorated nanofiber with diameter of 490 nm excited by a 473 nm laser. The blue arrow shows the direction of propagation of the launched light.
Capacity based nondestructive readout for complementary resistive switches

S Tappertzhofen, E Linn, L Nielen, R Rosezin, F Lentz, R Bruchhaus, I Valov, U Bttger and R Waser
2011 Nanotechnology 22 395203 Complementary resistive switches (CRS) were recently suggested to solve the sneak path problem of larger passive memory arrays. CRS cells consist of an antiserial setup of two bipolar resistive switching cells. The conventional destructive readout for CRS cells is based on a current measurement which makes a considerable call on the switching endurance. Here, we report a new approach for a nondestructive readout (NDRO) based on a capacity measurement. We suggest a concept of an alternative setup of a CRS cell in which both resistive switching cells have similar switching properties but are distinguishable by different capacities. The new approach has the potential of an energy saving and fast readout procedure without decreasing cycling performance and is not limited by the switching kinetics for integrated passive memory arrays.
Output voltage Vout for short pulse lengths (50 ns) applied to SiO2 cells and pulse heights of Vin = 2 V and Vin = 3 V, respectively. Voltage margins are about 46 mV for the 2 V input pulse and 68 mV for 3 V input.
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Nanotechnology
Energy at the nanoscale

The new energy section in Nanotechnology was launched in 2011. We introduced this section to the journal in recognition of the important role of nanoscale science and technology in this fast growing field of research. Papers in the section include work to refine and develop new technology for generating and storing energy. The section also contains work that looks into fundamental processes in energy conservation and transfer, such as the localization of energy dissipation. Photovoltaics is one of the fields that command the greatest activity in alternative energy research. Organicbased devices now offer a low-cost alternative to traditional silicon solar cells. Over the year the section has published a number of high-quality reports focused on improving the efficiencies of these devices to make them commercially viable. As highlighted in this brochure, Thomas Tromholt and colleagues in Denmark and Israel have complemented this work with an investigation into the longevity of solar cells, an aspect that has received far less study so far. The report provides insights into the validity of data after exposure to concentrated sunlight as a means of accelerating studies of device degradation. Hydrogen storage also has huge potential in the energy industry. Among the top research papers in this area is a report by Yue Chan and James M Hill at the University of Adelaide in Australia. They have numerically investigated the optimum structures for a graphene oxide framework supported by benzenediboronic pillars for maximum hydrogen storage. Carbon-based nanostructures also feature in the work on improving the performance of supercapacitors, reported by researchers at Florida State University. They develop a composite material of vanadium oxide and multiwall carbon nanotube buckypaper that has excellent supercapacitor performance and offers a cost-effective alternative to other transition metal oxides. Research into storing and generating energy deals with concerns that are equally prevalent in both the general press and academic literature. This section gives some indication of how much fascinating science and innovation these concerns have inspired.
Nanoscale science and technology research forms a fundamental component in the development of alternative energy sources. In view of mounting awareness of the current limitations of the worlds energy resources, research in this field is becoming increasingly important. The new section in Nanotechnology focuses on innovative techniques based on nanostructures that can be applied towards all forms of energy generation and storage, and embraces both advances in the fundamental science involved as well as technological innovations. Papers published in the new section describe ways to improve the efficiency, Section Editor: John Vajo stability and processibility of photovoltaic devices, hydrogen storage units, fuel cells, and a range of other energy-related fields of research. The reports cover work towards the development of sophisticated new nanomaterials and fabrication techniques, as well as studies that aim to deepen our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms at work in the latest energy generating and storing devices.
Section scope
Nanotechnology
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Reversible degradation of inverted organic solar cells by concentrated sunlight

Thomas Tromholt, Assaf Manor, Eugene A Katz and Frederik C Krebs
2011 Nanotechnology 22 225401 Concentrated sunlight was used to study the performance response of inverted P3HT:PCBM organic solar cells after exposure to high intensity sunlight. Correlations of efficiency as a function of solar intensity were established in the range of 0.515 suns at three different stages: for a pristine cell, after 30 min exposure at 5 suns and after 30 min of rest in the dark. High intensity exposure introduced a major performance decrease for all solar intensities, followed by a partial recovery of the lost performance over time: at 1 sun only 6% of the initial performance was conserved after the high intensity exposure, while after rest the performance had recovered to 60% of the initial value. The timescale of the recovery effect was studied by monitoring the cell performance at 1 sun after high intensity exposure. This showed that cell performance was almost completely restored after 180 min. The transient state is believed to be a result of the breakdown of the diode behaviour of the ZnO electron transport layer by O2 desorption, increasing the hole conductivity. These results imply that accelerated degradation of organic solar cells by concentrated sunlight is not a straightforward process, and care has to be taken to allow for a sound accelerated lifetime assessment based on concentrated sunlight.
A plot showing the evolution of the efficiency of the cell. The black plot refers to a pristine cell, the red immediately following degradation and the blue following a rest period.
Obviating the requirement for oxygen in SnO2-based solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells
Pablo Docampo and Henry J Snaith
2011 Nanotechnology 22 225403 Organic semiconductors employed in solar cells are perfectly stable to solar irradiation provided oxygen content can be kept below 1 ppm. Paradoxically, the state-of-the-art molecular holetransporter-based solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells only operate efficiently if measured in an atmosphere containing oxygen. Without oxygen, these devices rapidly lose photovoltage and photocurrent and are rendered useless. Clearly this peculiar requirement has detrimental implications to the long term stability of these devices. Through characterizing the solar cells in air and in oxygen-free atmospheres, and considering the device architecture, we identify that direct contact between the metallic cathode and the mesoporous metal oxide photo-anode is responsible for a shunting path through the device. This metalmetal oxide contact forms a Schottky barrier under ambient conditions and the barrier is suitably high so as to prevent significant shunting of the solar cells. However, under light absorption in an anaerobic atmosphere the barrier reduces significantly, opening a low resistance shunting path which dominates the currentvoltage characteristics in the solar cell. By incorporating an extra interlayer of insulating mesoporous aluminum oxide, on top of the mesoporous semiconducting metal oxide electrode, we successfully block this shunting path and subsequently the devices operate efficiently in an oxygen-free atmosphere, enabling the possibility of long term stability of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells.
Schematic illustration of a SnO2-based solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell with the addition of a mesoporous interlayer of Al2O3 on top of the mesoporous SnO2.
Nanosilicon in water as a source of hydrogen: size and pH matter

Bernhard Goller, Dmitry Kovalev and Olga Sreseli
2011 Nanotechnology 22 305402 We report on the interaction of silicon nanocrystals with water/alcohol solutions which results in their complete oxidation, the hydrolysis of water and hydrogen generation in amounts close to the ideal scenario. Water acts as an oxidizer while alcohol is required for efficient wetting of nanosilicon. This process results in the formation of silicon-based alcogel which can be further transferred to aerogel.
TEM image showing freestanding Si nanospheres prepared from the gas phase and subsequently stain etched.
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Nanotechnology
Hydrogen storage inside graphene-oxide frameworks

Yue Chan and James M Hill
2011 Nanotechnology 22 305403 In this paper, we use applied mathematical modelling to investigate the storage of hydrogen molecules inside graphene-oxide frameworks, which comprise two parallel graphenes rigidly separated by perpendicular ligands. Hydrogen uptake is calculated for graphene-oxide frameworks using the continuous approximation and an equation of state for both the bulk and adsorption gas phases. We first validate our approach by obtaining results for two parallel graphene sheets. This result agrees well with an existing theoretical result, namely 1.85 wt% from our calculations, and 2 wt% arising from an ab initio and grand canonical Monte Carlo calculation. This provides confidence to the determination of the hydrogen uptake for the four graphene-oxide frameworks, GOF-120, GOF-66, GOF-28 and GOF-6, and we obtain 1.68, 2, 6.33 and 0 wt%, respectively. The high value obtained for GOF-28 may be partly explained by the fact that the benzenediboronic acid pillars between graphene sheets not only provide mechanical support and porous spaces for the molecular structure but also provide the higher binding energy to enhance the hydrogen storage inside graphene-oxide frameworks. For the other three structures, this binding energy is not as large in comparison to that of GOF-28 and this effect diminishes as the ligand density decreases. In the absence of conflicting data, the present work indicates GOF-28 as a likely contender for practical hydrogen storage.
The total potential energy for hydrogen stored between two parallel graphene sheets G-120 with D = 11 A , where E is in eV and h and r are in A .
How localized are energy dissipation processes in nanoscale interactions?
Sergio Santos, Victor Barcons, Albert Verdaguer, Josep Font, Neil H Thomson and Matteo Chiesa
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2011 Nanotechnology 22 345401 We describe fundamental energy dissipation in dynamic nanoscale processes in terms of the localization of the interactions. In this respect, the areal density of the energy dissipated per cycle and the effective area of interaction in which each process occurs are calculated for four elementary dissipative processes. It is the ratio between these two, which we term M, that provides information about how localized the interactions are. While our results are general, we use concepts from dynamic atomic force microscopy to describe the physical phenomenon. We show that neither the phase lag, nor the magnitude of the energy dissipated alone provide information about how dissipative processes are localized. Instead, M has to be considered.
Scheme of the non-contact interaction area Snc for a tip in the proximity of a surface for the long range attractive forces (d > a0). The tip radius is termed R. The gradient shows how the effective radius rnc grows as larger fractions p of the interaction are considered. This radius, and area, are thus termed rnc(p) and Snc(p) respectively.
Supercritical fluid deposition of vanadium oxide on multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) buckypaper for supercapacitor electrode application
Quyet Huu Do, Changchun Zeng, Chuck Zhang, Ben Wang and Jim Zheng
2011 Nanotechnology 22 365402 Composite electrodes were fabricated for supercapacitor application, by depositing vanadium oxide onto multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) buckypaper using supercritical fluid deposition (SFD). The deposited thin vanadium oxide layer showed amorphous structure with excellent uniformity. In aqueous KCl electrolyte, the vanadium oxide exhibited a constant pseudo-capacitance of ~1024 F g1, which was independent of the oxide material loading (up to 6.92 wt%) and voltage scan rate (up to 100 mV s1).The highest specific electrode capacitance achieved was ~85 F g1, which was almost four times that of the pristine buckypaper electrode.
SEM micrograph showing a cross-section of a vanadium oxide buckypaper composite. The top of the image corresponds to the centre the sample and the bottom of the image the sample surface.
Nanotechnology
17
Patterning and nanofabrication

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Patterns have fascinated for millennia. In ancient times, the study of patterns in numbers and nature gave rise to the disciplines of maths and physics. Applying these disciplines allowed the design of devices and machinery that have evolved into the sophisticated technology that supports modern day life. Now research in nanoscale fabrication uses advances in technology to create carefully defined patterns and features that lend tailored properties to materials for optimized device design. The section on patterning and nanofabrication in this years Nanotechnology highlights brochure underlines just how rapidly progress in the field is being made. At New York University researchers have studied the interference patterns that arise from propagating spin waves. They show how the patterns can be used for polychronous wave computation, a concept inspired by studies of the brain. The spin-wave interference patterns introduce possibilities for computation and data storage. Researchers in Singapore tackle the pattern resolution limitations of producing bit-patterned media at data concentrations beyond 1.5 Tbit per square inch. They
use a process consisting of high-resolution electronbeam lithography followed directly by magnetic film deposition. The simplicity of the process allows greater pattern resolution. The properties of patterned surfaces also have a role to play in applications for fighting flu. In Taiwan, researchers have optimized gold nano/microstructures with controlled geometrical parameters for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection of R6G molecules and the flu virus. Their observations suggest that the distance between micro/nanostructures was the dominant factor in SERS detection. New limits are constantly being defined and overcome through research in nanofabrication. The mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead is quoted as having said: art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our aesthetic enjoyment is recognition of the pattern. Perhaps certain aspects of nanotechnology can be described as the imposing of experience on patterns, so that technological advances allow increasing control and design in the resulting properties of nanomaterials.
As device sizes approach the nanoscale the effects from various fundamental forces, which are neglected at the macroscale, are dominant. In order to explore and utilize these unique conditions it is a continual goal of nanoscientists to improve methods of accurately fabricating devices and patterning surfaces at the nanoscale. This section focuses on comprehensive presentations of novel methods to increase the resolution, control and efficiency of nanoscale production and demonstrate new applications based on these nanofabricated materials. A Section Editor: Sergei wide range of lithography techniques are covered in this section including both bottom-up and Kalinin top-down methods. We emphasise the need for articles to demonstrate real improvements in techniques by direct comparison with other methods. These improvements can take many forms. For example, demonstrating improvement in the control of a technique, increasing the area or conditions in which the technique can be performed, increasing speed or output of the technique or of reducing cost of fabrication.
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Section scope
Nanotechnology
Nanoimprinting lithography of a two-layer phase mask for three-dimensional photonic structure holographic fabrications via single exposure
Di Xu, Kevin P Chen, Kris Ohlinger and Yuankun Lin
2011 Nanotechnology 22 035303 We report a combined holographic and nanoimprinting lithography technique to produce threedimensional woodpile photonic crystal templates through only one single exposure. The interference lithography process uses an integratable diffractive optical element for large throughput 3D pattern manufacturing. The diffractive optical element consists of two layers of phase grating separated by an intermediate layer, fabricated by repeated nanoimprinting lithography, followed by an SU8 photoresist bonding technique. Grating periods, relative orientation, diffraction angle, and efficiency, as well as layer to layer phase delay, are well designed during manufacturing. By thermally optimizing the thickness of the intermediate layer, this paper demonstrates the fabrication of interconnected 3D photonic structures with arbitrary symmetry through a single laser exposure. The two-layer phase mask approach enables a CMOS-compatible monolithic integration of 3D photonic structures with other integrated optical elements and waveguides.
SEM image of structure in a photoresist with face centre tetragonal (FCT) symmetry fabricated by a single laser exposure through an orthogonal two-layer phase mask. The inset is the simulated structure for comparison.
Fabrication and characterization of bit-patterned media beyond 1.5 Tbit/in2

Joel K W Yang, Yunjie Chen, Tianli Huang, Huigao Duan, Naganivetha Thiyagarajah, Hui Kim Hui, Siang Huei Leong and Vivian Ng
2011 Nanotechnology 22 385301 We fabricated bit-patterned media (BPM) at densities as high as 3.3 Tbit/in2 using a process consisting of high-resolution electron-beam lithography followed directly by magnetic film deposition. By avoiding pattern transfer processes such as etching and liftoff that inherently reduce pattern fidelity, the resolution of the final pattern was kept close to that of the lithographic step. Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) showed magnetic isolation of the patterned bits at 1.9 Tbit/in2, which was close to the resolution limit of the MFM. The method presented will enable studies on magnetic bits packed at ultra-high densities, and can be combined with other scalable patterning methods such as templated self-assembly and nanoimprint lithography for high-volume manufacturing.
SEM images of magnetic bits after Co/Pd multilayer film deposition onto pre-patterned hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) posts. The dashed line illustrates the side profile of an isolated bit.
Spin-wave interference patterns created by spin-torque nano-oscillators for memory and computation
Ferran Maci, Andrew D Kent and Frank C Hoppensteadt
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2011 Nanotechnology 22 095301 Magnetization dynamics in nanomagnets has attracted broad interest since it was predicted that a dc current flowing through a thin magnetic layer can create spin-wave excitations. These excitations are due to spin momentum transfer, a transfer of spin angular momentum between conduction electrons and the background magnetization, that enables new types of information processing. Here we show how arrays of spin-torque nano-oscillators can create propagating spin-wave interference patterns of use for memory and computation. Memristic transponders distributed on the thin film respond to threshold tunnel magnetoresistance values, thereby allowing spin-wave detection and creating new excitation patterns. We show how groups of transponders create resonant (reverberating) spin-wave interference patterns that may be used for polychronous wave computation and information storage.
A simulation of the magnetic excitations formed by three point contacts on a two-dimensional thin film. The magnetic excitations diffuse and interfere throughout the film. Intersecting waves create six wavepackets and they propagate outwards in specific directions. This figure shows the amplitude of one of the in-plane magnetic components, |m x|.
Nanotechnology
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Focused ion beam-fabricated Au micro/ nanostructures used as a surface enhanced Raman scattering-active substrate for trace detection of molecules and influenza virus
Ying-Yi Lin, Jiunn-Der Liao, Yu-Hung Ju, Chia-Wei Chang and Ai-Li Shiau
2011 Nanotechnology 22 185308 The focused ion beam (FIB) technique was used to precisely fabricate patterned Au micro/ nanostructures (fibAu). The effects of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) on the fibAu samples were investigated by adjusting the geometrical, dimensional, and spacing factors. The SERS mechanism was evaluated using low-concentration rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules, physically adsorbed or suspended on/within the micro/nanostructures. The results indicated that for detecting R6G molecules, hexagon-like micro/nanostructures induced a higher electromagnetic mechanism (EM) due to the availability of multiple edges and small curvature. By decreasing the dimensions from 300 to 150 nm, the laser-focused area contained an increasing number of micro/ nanostructures and therefore intensified the excitation of SERS signals. Moreover, with an optimized geometry and dimensions of the micro/nanostructures, the relative intensity/surface area value reached a maximum as the spacing was 22 nm. An exponential decrease was found as the spacing was increased, which most probably resulted from the loss of EM. The spacing between the micro/ nanostructures upon the fibAu was consequently regarded as the dominant factor for the detection of R6G molecules. By taking an optimized fibAu to detect low-concentration influenza virus, the amino acids from the outermost surface of the virus can be well distinguished through the SERS mechanism.
FE-SEM micrograph of one of the Au samples pattered using a focused ion beam (FIB). The marked surface area representing the diameter of the Raman laser spot is approximately 1 m2.
Rapid turnaround scanning probe nanolithography

Philip C Paul, Armin W Knoll, Felix Holzner, Michel Despont and Urs Duerig
2011 Nanotechnology 22 275306 Scanning probe nanolithography (SPL) has demonstrated its potential in a variety of applications like 3D nanopatterning, direct development lithography, dip-pen deposition or patterning of selfassembled monolayers. One of the main issues holding back SPL has been the limited throughput for patterning and imaging. Here we present a complete lithography and metrology system based on thermomechanical writing into organic resists. Metrology is carried out using a thermoelectric topography sensing method. More specifically, we demonstrate a system with a patterning pixel clock of 500 kHz, 20 mm s1 linear scan speed, a positioning accuracy of 10 nm, a read-back frequency bandwidth of 100 000 line-pairs s1 and a turnaround time from patterning to qualifying metrology of 1 min. Thus, we demonstrate a nanolithography system capable of implementing rapid turnaround.
Cantilever sensor used in the experiment.
Single and multilayer metamaterials fabricated by nanoimprint lithography

I Bergmair, B Dastmalchi, M Bergmair, A Saeed, W Hilber, G Hesser, C Helgert, E Pshenay-Severin, T Pertsch, E B Kley, U Hbner, N H Shen, R Penciu, M Kafesaki, C M Soukoulis, K Hingerl, M Muehlberger and R Schoeftner
2011 Nanotechnology 22 325301 We demonstrate for the first time a fast and easy nanoimprint lithography (NIL) based stacking process of negative index structures like fishnet and Swiss-cross metamaterials. The process takes a few seconds, is cheap and produces three-dimensional (3D) negative index materials (NIMs) on a large area which is suitable for mass production. It can be performed on all common substrates even on flexible plastic foils. This work is therefore an important step toward novel and breakthrough applications of NIMs such as cloaking devices, perfect lenses and magnification of objects using NIM prisms. The optical properties of the fabricated samples were measured by means of transmission and reflection spectroscopy. From the measured data we retrieved the effective refractive index which is shown to be negative for a wavelength around 1.8 m for the fishnet metamaterial while the Swisscross metamaterial samples show a distinct resonance at wavelength around 1.4 m.
SEM image of Swiss-cross shaped negative index material (NIM). The scale bar is 200 nm.
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Nanotechnology

Large surface area and high sensitivity to changes in the environment are winning attributes for nanomaterials in nanoscale sensing and actuating devices. Our understanding of the properties of nanomaterials and ways to manipulate them is constantly advancing, and countless different avenues for how to apply them are teaming with new ideas. The extraordinary intrinsic properties of nanomaterials allow enhanced sensing in many respects, including resolution and sensitivity. Researchers in the US have taken advantage of the electrical and thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes for thermographic structural testing of carbon nanotube composite materials using resistive heating. The method allows in situ low-power non-destructive monitoring of structural health with state-of-the-art resolution to help prevent structural failures in engineering materials. Ever increasing control in fabrication methods has helped innovations that exploit nanomaterial properties. Researchers in the US report a simple fabrication method for a vertically aligned nanowire array sensor with a porous top electrode that is sensitive to 10 ppb. The structure allows even penetration of the analyte through the top electrode while maintaining consistent connections to all of the nanowires. The sensitivity of nanowire properties to their surroundings has leant them to analyte-specific sensing applications. Now researchers in the UK have applied principal component analysis and quadratic discriminant analysis to arrays of differently functionalized nanowires to develop nanosensors with learning capabilities. In their proof-of-principle demonstration they show that even non-functionalized nanowires can distinguish between solvents in completely uncontrolled ambient conditions with the help of elementary machine learning. A lot of current progress exploits combinations of more than one approach. A collaboration of researchers in the UK use a scanning probe held in two optical traps to achieve the resolution of scanning probe microscopy with the force sensitivity of photonic force microscopy. The orientation of the probe can be controlled using holographic beam shaping, allowing the technique to be applied to highly curved and challenging surface geometries. Browsing this years highlights, it may seem that as fast as the intricacies in nanoscale phenomena are revealed, device technologies to exploit them are developed. And the more we learn about nanomaterials, the more we realize that there is to learn. This bodes well for further inspiring innovations in sensing and actuating in the future.
The possibility of using nanotechnology to convey and enhance information to a macroscopic scale has driven a wave of research into fabrication and optimization of nanoscale sensor devices. Devices have been developed for such wide ranging applications as the detection of gases, such as ethanol and oxygen; biomolecules, like DNA; and mechanical forces. Progress is leading to applications in a multitude of fields such as food safety and gas alarms. The unique properties of nano materials, such as exceptional strength and massive surface-to-volume ratio compared with their macroscale counterparts, has Section Editor: Juergen allowed great enhancement of the sensitivity of sensors in many fields. This section invites Brugger submissions that show significant enhancement of the sensing capabilities of applied nano systems, as well as novel applications of nanoscale devices to the detection of mechanical phenomena, biological, material and chemical species.
Section scope
Nanotechnology
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A carbon-nanotube-based sensor array for formaldehyde detection

Yijiang Lu, M Meyyappan and Jing Li
2011 Nanotechnology 22 055502 We have fabricated a sensor array consisting of 32 sensor elements with pristine, doped and metal-loaded single-wall carbon nanotubes as sensing materials. The sensor elements consist of interdigitated electrodes with varying finger widths and gaps. The chemiresistor-type sensors provide a significant response to formaldehyde at concentrations down to 10 ppb in air with rapid response and recovery times.
A 32-element sensor array chip with interdigitated electrodes.
Multi-physics damage sensing in nanoengineered structural composites

Roberto Guzmn de Villoria, Namiko Yamamoto, Antonio Miravete and Brian L Wardle
2011 Nanotechnology 22 185502 Non-destructive evaluation techniques can offer viable diagnostic and prognostic routes to mitigating failures in engineered structures such as bridges, buildings and vehicles. However, existing techniques have significant drawbacks, including poor spatial resolution and limited in situ capabilities. We report here a novel approach where structural advanced composites containing electrically conductive aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are ohmically heated via simple electrical contacts, and damage is visualized via thermographic imaging. Damage, in the form of cracks and other discontinuities, usefully increases resistance to both electrical and thermal transport in these materials, which enables tomographic full-field damage assessment in many cases. Characteristics of the technique include the ability for real-time measurement of the damage state during loading, low-power operation (e.g. 15 C rise at 1 W), and beyond state-of-the-art spatial resolution for sensing damage in composites. The enhanced thermographic technique is a novel and practical approach for in situ monitoring to ascertain structural health and to prevent structural failures in engineered structures such as aerospace and automotive vehicles and wind turbine blades, among others.
A center-impacted composite plate with barely visible impact damage was inspected via thermography to reveal the presence of internal damage.
Surface imaging using holographic optical tweezers

D B Phillips, J A Grieve, S N Olof, S J Kocher, R Bowman, M J Padgett, M J Miles and D M Carberry
2011 Nanotechnology 22 285503 We present an imaging technique using an optically trapped cigar-shaped probe controlled using holographic optical tweezers. The probe is raster scanned over a surface, allowing an image to be taken in a manner analogous to scanning probe microscopy (SPM), with automatic closed loop feedback control provided by analysis of the probe position recorded using a high speed CMOS camera. The probe is held using two optical traps centred at least 10 m from the ends, minimizing laser illumination of the tip, so reducing the chance of optical damage to delicate samples. The technique imparts less force on samples than contact SPM techniques, and allows highly curved and strongly scattering samples to be imaged, which present difficulties for imaging using photonic force microscopy. To calibrate our technique, we first image a known samplethe interface between two 8 m polystyrene beads. We then demonstrate the advantages of this technique by imaging the surface of the soft alga Pseudopediastrum. The scattering force of our laser applied directly onto this sample is enough to remove it from the surface, but we can use our technique to image the algal surface with minimal disruption while it is alive, not adhered and in physiological conditions. The resolution is currently equivalent to confocal microscopy, but as our technique is not diffraction limited, there is scope for significant improvement by reducing the tip diameter and limiting the thermal motion of the probe.
A three-dimensional surface image following the scan of the side wall of a Pseudopediastrum unit cell.
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Nanotechnology
Silicon nanowire arrays as learning chemical vapour classifiers

A O Niskanen, A Colli, R White, H W Li, E Spigone and J M Kivioja
2011 Nanotechnology 22 295502

Etched NW channel obtained by the superposition of randomly oriented NW masks. The scalebar is 500 nm. The metal electrode is on the left highlighted by a yellow shade.
Nanowire field-effect transistors are a promising class of devices for various sensing applications. Apart from detecting individual chemical or biological analytes, it is especially interesting to use multiple selective sensors to look at their collective response in order to perform classification into predetermined categories. We show that non-functionalised silicon nanowire arrays can be used to robustly classify different chemical vapours using simple statistical machine learning methods. We were able to distinguish between acetone, ethanol and water with 100% accuracy while methanol, ethanol and 2-propanol were classified with 96% accuracy in ambient conditions.
Mass and stiffness calibration of nanowires using thermally driven vibration

D R Kiracofe, M M Yazdanpanah and A Raman
2011 Nanotechnology 22 295504 Cantilevered or suspended nanowires show promise for force or mass sensing applications due to their small mass, high force sensitivity and high frequency bandwidth. To use these as quantitative sensors, their bending stiffness or mass must be calibrated experimentally, often using thermally driven vibration. However, this can be difficult because nanowires are slightly asymmetric, which results in two spatially orthogonal bending eigenmodes with closely spaced frequencies. This asymmetry presents problems for traditional stiffness calibration methods, which equate the measured thermal vibration spectrum near a resonance to that of a single eigenmode. Moreover, the principal axes may be arbitrarily rotated with respect to the measurement direction. In this work, the authors propose a method for calibrating the bending stiffness and mass of such nanowires eigenmodes using a single measurement taken at an arbitrary orientation with respect to the principal axes.
For a perfectly circular wire, the thermal vibration will have the same amplitude in any direction. But for any asymmetry, however small, the thermal vibration will be larger along one principal axis than along the other. Moreover, the measurement direction may be at some angle with respect to the principal axes.
Periodically porous top electrodes on vertical nanowire arrays for highly sensitive gas detection
Hyun Jin In, Christopher R Field and Pehr E Pehrsson
na
2011 Nanotechnology 22 355501 Nanowires of various materials and configurations have been shown to be highly effective in the detection of chemical and biological species. In this paper, we report a novel, nanosphere-enabled approach to fabricating highly sensitive gas sensors based on ordered arrays of vertically aligned silicon nanowires topped with a periodically porous top electrode. The vertical array configuration helps to greatly increase the sensitivity of the sensor while the pores in the top electrode layer significantly improve sensing response times by allowing analyte gases to pass through freely. Herein, we show highly sensitive detection to both nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ammonia (NH3) in humidified air. NO2 detection down to 10 parts per billion (ppb) is demonstrated and an order-ofmagnitude improvement in sensor response time is shown in the detection of NH3.
SEM image of the sensor, showing the porous top electrode (PTE) and the silicon nanowire (SiNW) array underneath.
Nanotechnology
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Materials: synthesis or self-assembly

Sponsored by Using AIXTRONs CVD and PECVD systems, graphene, carbon nanotubes and semiconducting nanowires can be controllably grown, enabling applications such as nano-transistors, interconnects, sensors, displays, thermal interfaces, electron guns, microfluidics and microwave amplifiers. Also see the Electronics and photonics category on p11. Visit www.aixtron.com.
Controlled synthesis is one of the driving forces behind a great deal of current progress in nanotechnology. Feynmans proposition that theres plenty of room at the bottom is commonly claimed to have initiated a burst of activity in manipulating matter at the nanoscale. More than 50 years later the field continues to fascinate. One enduring source of inspiration in nanoscale synthesis is biological self assembly. Along these lines the ordered arrangement of colloidal nanoparticles has attracted a great deal of interest. A collaboration of researchers in Iran, Denmark and Australia has studied the evaporationinduced assembly of binary colloidal assemblies on a hydrophobic or hydrophilic substrate. They identify the roles of electrostatic and capillary forces and factors that affect crystal formation and ordering. Researchers in Germany have explored the selectivity of GaN growth by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. They optimize the conditions for nanowire growth in holes of a mask with all parasitic growth in between holes suppressed. The work provides an alternative to growth of ordered arrays of nanoparticles seeded by catalysts, which can introduce impurities.
Template forming can be costly and removal of the template tends to cause aggregation of one-dimensional nanomaterials. Researchers in China exploit the intrinsic anisotropic crystal structure of Te and a platinum substrate for nanowire deposition. Gold/ tellurium nanorods could then be formed by chemical replacement reactions. The researchers demonstrate surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection over a large area with the resulting structure. Boron nitride has a number of intriguing properties. The ultrathin dimensions of free-standing single-atomic layer boron nitride films inspired researchers in the UK to investigate its applications as a transmission electron microscope supporting film. They analyse the phase contrast images and resulting moir interference patterns that arise from an electron beam propagating through a crystalline boron nitride film with Mn-doped ZnSe nanocrystals deposited on top. Many signature materials in nanoscale research were discovered by a combination of inspiration and accident. As the papers in these highlights demonstrate fast, cheap, scalable production of purpose-designed enhanced materials is now becoming increasing achievable.
Section scope
Section Editor: Stanislaus Wong
The success of nanotechnology in real-world applications hinges on the development of methods that allow for cheaper, faster, greener and more reliable modes of fabrication of highquality nanostructures for implementation into devices. The synthesis of nanoscale materials is now performed via a huge variety of methods, including but not limited to, physico-chemical, optical, and mechanical variations. This section continues to publish papers that demonstrate progress towards the development of previously unattainable and novel fabrication standards for existing nanostructures, as well as the fabrication of new structures wherein a clear, important and practical application can be convincingly demonstrated.
24
Nanotechnology
Selective-area catalyst-free MBE growth of GaN nanowires using a patterned oxide layer
T Schumann, T Gotschke, F Limbach, T Stoica and R Calarco
2011 Nanotechnology 22 095603 GaN nanowires (NWs) were grown selectively in holes of a patterned silicon oxide mask, by rf-plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE), without any metal catalyst. The oxide was deposited on a thin AlN buffer layer previously grown on a Si(111) substrate. Regular arrays of holes in the oxide layer were obtained using standard e-beam lithography. The selectivity of growth has been studied varying the substrate temperature, gallium beam equivalent pressure and patterning layout. Adjusting the growth parameters, GaN NWs can be selectively grown in the holes of the patterned oxide with complete suppression of the parasitic growth in between the holes. The occupation probability of a hole with a single or multiple NWs depends strongly on its diameter. The selectively grown GaN NWs have one common crystallographic orientation with respect to the Si(111) substrate via the AlN buffer layer, as proven by x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. Based on the experimental data, we present a schematic model of the GaN NW formation in which a GaN pedestal is initially grown in the hole.
SEM micrographs of GaN nanowires selectively grown over 4 hours through pre-patterned 60 nm diameter holes in a silicon oxide mask.
Utilizing boron nitride sheets as thin supports for high resolution imaging of nanocrystals
Yimin A Wu, Angus I Kirkland, Franziska Schffel, Kyriakos Porfyrakis, Neil P Young, G Andrew D Briggs and Jamie H Warner
2011 Nanotechnology 22 195603 We demonstrate the use of thin BN sheets as supports for imaging nanocrystals using low voltage (80 kV) aberration-corrected high resolution transmission electron microscopy. This provides an alternative to the previously utilized 2D crystal supports of graphene and graphene oxide. A simple chemical exfoliation method is applied to get few layer boron nitride (BN) sheets with micrometersized dimensions. This generic approach of using BN sheets as supports is shown by depositing Mn doped ZnSe nanocrystals directly onto the BN sheets and resolving the atomic structure from both the ZnSe nanocrystals and the BN support. Phase contrast images reveal moir patterns of interference between the beams diffracted by the nanocrystals and the BN substrate that are used to determine the relative orientation of the nanocrystals with respect to the BN sheets and interference lattice planes. Double diffraction is observed and has been analyzed.
HRTEM image showing the crystalline structure of several Mn doped nanocrystals on the surface of disc shaped BN sheets. The atomic structure of both the nanocrystals and the BN sheet is visible in the image.
Role of proteins in controlling selenium nanoparticle size

J Dobias, E I Suvorova and R Bernier-Latmani
2011 Nanotechnology 22 195605 This work investigates the potential for harnessing the association of bacterial proteins to biogenic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) to control the size distribution and the morphology of the resultant SeNPs. We conducted a proteomic study and compared proteins associated with biogenic SeNPs produced by E. coli to chemically synthesized SeNPs as well as magnetite nanoparticles. We identified four proteins (AdhP, Idh, OmpC, AceA) that bound specifically to SeNPs and observed a narrower size distribution as well as more spherical morphology when the particles were synthesized chemically in the presence of proteins. A more detailed study of AdhP (alcohol dehydrogenase propanol-preferring) confirmed the strong affinity of this protein for the SeNP surface and revealed that this protein controlled the size distribution of the SeNPs and yielded a narrow size distribution with a three-fold decrease in the median size. These results support the assertion that protein may become an important tool in the industrial-scale synthesis of SeNPs of uniform size and properties.
STEM image of chemogenic Se nanoparticles with controlled size when after synthesis in the presence of alcohol dehydrogenase, propanol-preferring (AdhP) protein.
Nanotechnology
25
Electrostatic and capillary force directed tunable 3D binary micro- and nanoparticle assemblies on surfaces
G Singh, S Pillai, A Arpanaei and P Kingshott
2011 Nanotechnology 22 225601 We report a simple, rapid and cost-effective method based on evaporation induced assembly to grow 3D binary colloidal assemblies on a hydrophobic/hydrophilic substrate by simple drop casting. The evaporation of a mixed colloidal drop results in ring-like or uniform area deposition depending on the concentration of particles, and thus assembly occurs at the periphery of a ring or uniformly all over the drop area. Binary colloidal assemblies of different crystal structure are successfully prepared over a wide range of size ratios ( = small/large) from 0.06 to 0.30 by tuning the of the micro- and nanoparticles used during assembly. The growth mechanism of 3D binary colloidal assemblies is investigated and it is found that electrostatic forces facilitate assembly formation until the end of the evaporation process, with capillary forces also playing a role. In addition, the effects of solvent type, humidity, and salt concentration on crystal formation and ordering behaviour are also examined. Furthermore, long range, highly ordered binary colloidal assemblies can be fabricated by the choice of a low conducting solvent combined with evaporation induced assembly.
SEM image of a binary colloidal assembly (BCA) formed on an octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) modified silicon wafer. The image shows 2 m carboxyl polystyrene (COOHPS) and 400 nm amine polystyrene (NH2PS) particles. Scale bar is 1 m.
Hydrothermally grown ZnO nanostructures on few-layer graphene sheets

Yong-Jin Kim, Hadiyawarman, Aram Yoon, Miyoung Kim, Gyu-Chul Yi and Chunli Liu
2011 Nanotechnology 22 245603 This study describes the hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanostructures on few-layer graphene sheets and their optical and structural properties. The ZnO nanostructures were grown on graphene sheets of a few layers thick (few-layer graphene) without a seed layer. By changing the hydrothermal growth parameters, including temperature, reagent concentration and pH value of the solution, we readily controlled the dimensions, density and morphology of the ZnO nanostructures. More importantly, single-crystalline ZnO nanostructures grew directly on graphene, as determined by transmission electron microscopy. In addition, from the photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence spectra, strong near-band-edge emission was observed without any deep-level emission, indicating that the ZnO nanostructures grown on few-layer graphene were of high optical quality.
SEM of a ZnO nanorod on few-layer graphene (FLG) sheet.
Direct growth of tellurium nanorod arrays on Pt/FTO/glass through a surfactant-assisted chemical reduction
Hongmei Liu, Boming Zeng and Falong Jia
2011 Nanotechnology 22 305608 Uniform tellurium nanorod arrays (TNA) have been successfully deposited directly on Pt/FTO (F-doped SnO2)/glass substrate through a facile surfactant-assisted approach, which involved chemical reduction of TeO32 ions by hydrazine hydrate. The whole synthesis process is highly repeatable and performed simply by immersing the Pt/FTO/glass in the solution for a certain time. During the growth of TNA, Pt catalyzed the reduction of TeO32 ions by hydrazine hydrate and Te nanoparticles were deposited firmly on the substrate at first. Then, under the regulation of the surfactant (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB), the deposited Te grew into nanorod arrays and adhered firmly to the substrate. Similar Te nanorod arrays could also grow on a Pd substrate which has the same catalytic performance as that of Pt. The as-synthesized TNA could be used as a good template to synthesize platinum-and gold-coated nanorods through convenient galvanic replacement. As a demonstration of potential application, the gold/tellurium nanorods showed uniform surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) using rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) as the analyte. This approach provides a simple route for the growth of standing Te nanorods on a substrate, which may be used for the synthesis of other standing one-dimensional materials through a similar mechanism.
SEM image of Te powder collected from the solution with 5 mM cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) with no substrate. The morphology of the Te sample is an aggregate formed by the growth of nanorods and nanoparticles together.
26
Nanotechnology
Materials: properties, characterization or tools

Nanomaterials are constantly revealing more and more unusual properties. At the same time, tools for probing nanomaterials are rising to the challenge with increasingly sophisticated innovations. Quantum dots have recently emerged as a selective, high-contrast and sensitive fluorescent marker for fingerprint detection. However, the current approach to synthesizing the CdTe quantum dots results in negatively charged entities that are repelled by the negative charge of amino acid residues in alkaline conditions. Researchers in China have devised a procedure for synthesizing positively charged quantum dots and demonstrated their improved effectiveness for fingerprint detection. Researchers in Korea have used a laser treatment to improve the properties of carbon nanotube films. Solution-based deposition of carbon nanotubes uses a surfactant to produce a stable solution. The surfactant is insulating and must be removed, but rinsing in acid often washes away the carbon-nanotube films reducing the throughput. Myungo Joo and Myeongkyu Lee show that a pulsed Nd:YAG laser can effectively remove surfactants improving the films conductivity and transmissivity. Back in the 1980s developments in scanning probe microscopy first revealed the reality of the nanoworld. Atomic force microscopy remains an invaluable tool, but soft material specimens are a challenge. Researchers in the US have reported an approach based on atomic force microscopy for mapping material moduli. They use a quartz crystal resonator as a force sensor that meets the requirements of both high sensitivity and low compliance for nanoscale investigation of soft materials. A collaboration of researchers in Switzerland and Greece has used a magnetic cantilever to determine the paramagnetism and soft and hard ferromagnetism of sample systems. They also demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique to measure the magnetic properties of the bacteria Magnetospirrillum gryphiswalsense. Masaru Ibuka, co-founder of Sony Corporation, once said: creativity comes from looking for the unexpected and stepping outside your own experience. All sorts of unexpected twists and turns continue to arise in the properties of nanomaterials and in the applications of the tools to measure them. This selection of highlights describes just a few from cutting-edge nanoscale research in 2011.
Much of the progress in current technology is based on the unique and extraordinary properties of nanoscale structures and systems. This section is devoted to research that provides a deeper understanding of the way nanostructured materials interact and the factors that govern their behaviour. The section includes experimental research on the optical, magnetic, electrical, mechanical and quantum properties of nanostructures and systems, and looks at ways of manipulating the response to changes in the surrounding environment and external triggers for device applications. The section also covers theoretical Section Editor: Mervyn studies that reveal potential new properties that have not yet been experimentally observed, Miles as well as helping to explain the physics behind the reported properties of nanomaterials. We also encourage submissions on new ways of characterizing the nanoscale structures and properties including novel ways to image materials.
Section scope
Nanotechnology
27
The synthesis of newly modified CdTe quantum dots and their application for improvement of latent fingerprint detection
Feng Gao, Jiaxing Han, Jun Zhang, Qun Li, Xiufeng Sun, Jincheng Zheng, Liru Bao, Xin Li and Zhiliang Liu
2011 Nanotechnology 22 075705 Motivated by the urgent demand for the detection of latent fingerprints using fluorescence-based nanotechnology, this work was devoted to developing a simple synthetic approach to obtain positively charged CdTe QDs with enhanced fluorescence and affinity for the improvement of latent fingerprint detection. Through this synthetic method, the positively charged CdTeCOONH3NH3 + QDs were successfully achieved by using hydrazine hydrate as both the surface stabilizer and pH adjuster during the preparation process. In comparison to the negatively charged CdTeCOO QDs prepared by using sodium hydroxide as the pH adjuster, the CdTeCOONH3NH3 + QDs showed enhanced fluorescence. The effectiveness of CdTeCOO and CdTeCOONH3NH3 + QDs for detection of latent fingerprints present on a large variety of smooth objects was systematically and comparatively studied. The results indicate that the detection of latent fingerprints by using CdTeCOONH3NH3 + QDs as fluorescent labeling marks was greatly enhanced, and more characteristic finger ridge details were detected and identified due to their enhanced affinity with latent fingerprints, in comparison to the detection by using CdTeCOO QDs as fluorescent labeling marks. The CdTeCOONH3NH3 + QDs show superior detection capability than the CdTeCOO QDs, which greatly improves the applicability of CdTe QDs for practical application in latent fingerprint detection.
Detection of latent fingerprint on a smooth black rubber surface treated with an CdTeCOONH3NH+3 QD aqueous solution.
Improvement of toughness and electrical properties of epoxy composites with carbon nanotubes prepared by industrially relevant processes
R Hollertz, S Chatterjee, H Gutmann, T Geiger, F A Nesch and B T T Chu
2011 Nanotechnology 22 125702 The addition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to polymeric matrices or master batches has the potential to provide composites with novel properties. However, composites with a uniform dispersion of CNTs have proved to be difficult to manufacture, especially at an industrial scale. This paper reports on processing methods that overcome problems related to the control and reproducibility of dispersions. By using a high pressure homogenizer and a three-roll calendaring mill in combination, CNT reinforced epoxies were fabricated by mould casting with a well dispersed nanofiller content from 0.1 to 2 wt%. The influence of the nano-carbon reinforcements on toughness and electrical properties of the CNT/epoxies was studied. A substantial increase of all mechanical properties already appeared at the lowest CNT content of 0.1 wt%, but further raising the nanofiller concentration only led to moderate further changes. The most significant enhancement was obtained for fracture toughness, reaching up to 82%. The low percolation thresholds were confirmed by electrical conductivity measurements on the same composites yielding a threshold value of only about 0.01 wt%. As corroborated by a thorough microscopic analysis of the composites, mechanical and electrical enhancement points to the formation of an interconnected network of agglomerated CNTs.
TEM micrograph of 0.5 wt% MWNT/epoxy composite processed by three-roll milling.
28
Nanotechnology
Force scanning: a rapid, high-resolution approach for spatial mechanical property mapping
E M Darling
2011 Nanotechnology 22 175707 Atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be used to co-localize mechanical properties and topographical features through property mapping techniques. The most common approach for testing biological materials at the microscale and nanoscale is force mapping, which involves taking individual force curves at discrete sites across a region of interest. The limitations of force mapping include long testing times and low resolution. While newer AFM methodologies, like modulated scanning and torsional oscillation, circumvent this problem, their adoption for biological materials has been limited. This could be due to their need for specialized software algorithms and/or hardware. The objective of this study is to develop a novel force scanning technique using AFM to rapidly capture high-resolution topographical images of soft biological materials while simultaneously quantifying their mechanical properties. Force scanning is a straightforward methodology applicable to a wide range of materials and testing environments, requiring no special modification to standard AFMs. Essentially, if a contact-mode image can be acquired, then force scanning can be used to produce a spatial modulus map. The current study first validates this technique using agarose gels, comparing results to ones achieved by the standard force mapping approach. Biologically relevant demonstrations are then presented for high-resolution modulus mapping of individual cells, cellcell interfaces, and articular cartilage tissue.
High-resolution elastic modulus mapping of a cell. AFM height images were overlaid with elastic modulus maps to determine localized mechanical properties for a single cell. This 128 128 pt. scan was collected over 6 min using a scan rate of 2 Hz and demonstrates the possible applications of the force scanning technique. The single adipose-derived stem cell (ASC) exhibited lower moduli (0.51 kPa) over the nucleus and perinuclear region and higher moduli near its edges (310 kPa).
Laser treatment of solution-deposited carbon nanotube thin films for improved conductivity and transparency
Myungo Joo and Myeongkyu Lee
2011 Nanotechnology 22 265709 Solution-deposited single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films contain a surfactant material and it should be removed by a post-deposition treatment to improve the conductivity. We here report that the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant in SWCNT films can be completely removed by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser (wavelength = 1064 nm, pulse width = 99 ms). SWCNT films were spraycoated onto a glass substrate and were scanned by a laser beam of 2 mm size. In this process, individual nanotubes absorb the laser energy and generate heat to vaporize the surrounding surfactant. This mechanism was supported by the fact that the required pulse energy decreased as the SWCNT density increased. An encouraging feature is that unlike typical acid treatments, the laser treatment can improve not only the conductivity but also the transmittance. This might be associated with complete surfactant removal without leaving any particulate debris. For a film, the sheet resistance decreased from 1.07 k/sq to 700 /sq and its visible transmittance simultaneously increased by 4%.
SEM image of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) film showing that the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant has been completely removed by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a power of 137W.
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Nanotechnology
29
Magnetic properties of nanomagnetic and biomagnetic systems analyzed using cantilever magnetometry
Urs Gysin, Simon Rast, Andreas Aste, Thanassis Speliotis, Christoph Werle and Ernst Meyer
2011 Nanotechnology 22 285715 Magnetic properties of nanomagnetic and biomagnetic systems are investigated using cantilever magnetometry. In the presence of a magnetic field, magnetic films or particles deposited at the free end of a cantilever give rise to a torque on the mechanical sensor, which leads to frequency shifts depending on the applied magnetic field. From the frequency response, the magnetic properties of a magnetic sample are obtained. The magnetic field dependences of paramagnetic and ferromagnetic thin films and particles are measured in a temperature range of 5320 K at a pressure below 10 6 mbar. We present magnetic properties of the ferromagnetic materials Fe, Co and Ni at room temperature and also for the rare earth elements Gd, Dy and Tb at various temperatures. In addition, the magnetic moments of magnetotactic bacteria are measured under vacuum conditions at room temperature. Cantilever magnetometry is a highly sensitive tool for characterizing systems with small magnetic moments. By reducing the cantilever dimensions the sensitivity can be increased by an order of magnitude.
TEM image of a magnetosome with a chain of magnetic nanoparticles about 30 nm in diameter incorporated in the Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense bacteria.
Probing near-surface nanoscale mechanical properties of low modulus materials using a quartz crystal resonator atomic force microscope
Yen Peng Kong, Ling Chen and Albert F Yee
2011 Nanotechnology 22 295709 We describe the development of a technique for making indentations on the top 520 nm of the surfaces of relatively low modulus materials using a high spatial and force sensitivity atomic force microscope (AFM) whose optical cantilever has been replaced by a quartz crystal resonator (QCR). Unlike conventional optical-cantilever-based AFMs, the accuracy of this technique is not compromised by the compliance of the loading system due to the high stiffness of the QCR. To obtain material modulus values from the indentation results, we find the commonly used OliverPharr model to be unsuitable because of our use of a sharp tip and relatively deep indentation. Instead, we develop a new analysis that may be more appropriate for the geometry we use as well as the non-linear constitutive behavior exhibited by the materials we examined. We calculated values for the moduli of several different materials, which we find to be consistent with the range of published data.
AFM image of polished Pb surface, which probably consists of an oxide layer rather than pure Pb.
The Lab Talk article on nanotechweb.org resulted in many visits to my group website. I think it is a great venue to publicize our work. Xun Yu Formerly of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth, US; now at the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering College of Engineering University of North Texas (e-mail: Xun.yu@unt.edu)
Smart concrete detects traffic flow
http://nanotechweb.org/cws/article/tech/40909
30
Nanotechnology
Media coverage
With the number of academic articles published worldwide increasing dramatically each year, it is becoming more difficult for important research to be identified by academics, students and the general public. The Nanotechnology editors actively work to identify important research and promote it to the interested community. As a result of these efforts, articles from Nanotechnology have been featured by international news organizations (BBC, FOX, ABC), popular scientific magazines (New Scientist, Nature News, Cosmos), scientific blogs and even on a YouTube video with more than 1 million hits. Below are two examples of Nanotechnology articles that you may have seen in the news in 2011.
The switching location of a bipolar memristor: chemical, thermal and structural mapping
John Paul Strachan, Dmitri B Strukov, Julien Borghetti, J Joshua Yang, Gilberto Medeiros-Ribeiro and R Stanley Williams
2011 Nanotechnology 22 254015 Memristors are memory resistors promising a rapid integration into future memory technologies. However, progress is still critically limited by a lack of understanding of the physical processes occurring at the nanoscale. Here we correlate device electrical characteristics with local atomic structure, chemistry and temperature. We resolved a single conducting channel that is made up of a reduced phase of the as-deposited titanium oxide. Moreover, we observed sufficient Joule heating to induce a crystallization of the oxide surrounding the channel, with a peculiar pattern that finite element simulations correlated with the existence of a hot spot close to the bottom electrode, thus identifying the switching location. This work reports direct observations in all three dimensions of the internal structure of titanium oxide memristors.
Higher resolution scan of the bottom left corner of the junction with a spatial mapping of the three observed phases of titanium oxide present. The color mapping of these regions is derived from the Ti L 2,3 x-ray absorption image stack using singular value decomposition procedures. A circle identifies the expected heated region surrounding the conductive channel.
Mirage effect from thermally modulated transparent carbon nanotube sheets

Ali E Aliev, Yuri N Gartstein and Ray H Baughman
2011 Nanotechnology 22 435704 The single-beam mirage effect, also known as photothermal deflection, is studied using a freestanding, highly aligned carbon nanotube aerogel sheet as the heat source. The extremely low thermal capacitance and high heat transfer ability of these transparent forest-drawn carbon nanotube sheets enables high frequency modulation of sheet temperature over an enormous temperature range, thereby providing a sharp, rapidly changing gradient of refractive index in the surrounding liquid or gas. The advantages of temperature modulation using carbon nanotube sheets are multiple: in inert gases the temperature can reach > 2500 K; the obtained frequency range for photothermal modulation is ~100 kHz in gases and over 100 Hz in high refractive index liquids; and the heat source is transparent for optical and acoustical waves. Unlike for conventional heat sources for photothermal deflection, the intensity and phase of the thermally modulated beam component linearly depends upon the beam-to-sheet separation over a wide range of distances. This aspect enables convenient measurements of accurate values for thermal diffusivity and the temperature dependence of refractive index for both liquids and gases. The remarkable performance of nanotube sheets suggests possible applications as photo-deflectors and for switchable invisibility cloaks, and provides useful insights into their use as thermoacoustic projectors and sonar. Visibility cloaking is demonstrated in a liquid.
Nanotechnology
31
Editorial board
Editor-in-chief
Mark Reed, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
Editorial board
Yoshio Bando, National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Japan Supriyo Bandyophadhyay, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA Karl Berggren, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA, USA Christian Brosseau, Universit de Bretagne Occidentale, France Jamal Deen, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada O Farokhzad, Harvard Medical School, MA, USA George Grner, University of California Los Angeles, USA Peter Grtter, McGill University, Canada Devens Gust, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA Seunghun Hong, Seoul National University, South Korea Ru Huang, Peking University, China Dae-Joon Kang, Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea Frederik Krebs, Technical University of Denmark, Denamrk Ray LaPierre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada Dan Peer, Tel Aviv University, Israel S Mark Spearing, University of Southampton, UK Michael Steigerwald, Columbia University, NY, USA Mahendra Sunkara, University of Louisville, KY, USA Mark Welland, University of Cambridge, UK George M Whitesides, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA Chris Yip, University of Toronto, Canada
Section editors
Biology and medicine Jeffrey M Karp, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA, USA Electronics and photonics Meyya Meyyappan, NASA Ames Research Center, CA, USA Energy at the nanoscale John Vajo HRL Laboratories LLC, CA, USA Patterning and nanofabrication Sergei Kalinin, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN, USA Sensing and actuation Jrgen Brugger, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Switzerland Materials: synthesis or self-assembly Stanislaus Wong, State University of New York, NY, USA Materials: properties, characterization and tools Mervyn J Miles, University of Bristol, UK
Journal team
Simon Buckmaster Publishing editor
Nina Couzin Group publisher
David Cunnah Publishing editor
Anna Demming Publishing editor
Gemma Down Marketing executive
Stephanie Gill Production editor
Edward Jost Group sales manager
Johnathan Keen Group publishing administrator
Paul Macbeath Publishing editor
Danny Turner Publishing administrator
James Tyrrell Editor, nanotechweb.org
Alex Wotherspoon Publisher
32
Nanotechnology
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Image left: Nerve cell morphology after co-culture for 22 days. Wei-Chin Huang, Jiunn-Der Liao, Chou-Ching K Lin and Ming-Shaung Ju 2011 Nanotechnology 22 275101.
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Image left: A bright field image of a Pseudopediastrum colony using an optical microscope. D B Phillips, J A Grieve, S N Olof, S J Kocher, R Bowman, M J Padgett, M J Miles and D M Carberry 2011 Nanotechnology 22 285503.
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Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Amphiphilic polymer-coated hybrid nanoparticles as CT/MRI dual contrast agents

Depth-sensing nano-indentation on a myelinated axon at various stages

electronics and photonics

Optical properties of quantum-dot-decorated polymer nanofibers

Capacity based nondestructive readout for complementary resistive switches

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

energy at the nanoscale

Nanosilicon in water as a source of hydrogen: size and pH matter

Hydrogen storage inside graphene-oxide frameworks

How localized are energy dissipation processes in nanoscale interactions?

Patterning and nanofabrication

Fabrication and characterization of bit-patterned media beyond 1.5 Tbit/in2

Rapid turnaround scanning probe nanolithography

Single and multilayer metamaterials fabricated by nanoimprint lithography

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Sensing and actuating

Multi-physics damage sensing in nano-engineered structural composites

Surface imaging using holographic optical tweezers

Silicon nanowire arrays as learning chemical vapour classifiers

Mass and stiffness calibration of nanowires using thermally driven vibration

Materials: synthesis or self-assembly

Role of proteins in controlling selenium nanoparticle size

Hydrothermally grown ZnO nanostructures on few-layer graphene sheets

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Materials: properties, characterization or tools

Mirage effect from thermally modulated transparent carbon nanotube sheets

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Biology and medicine

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

A conceptually new type of bio-hybrid scaffold for bone regeneration

ESEM image showing a non-cross linked magnetic hydroxyapatite/ collagen composite.

Amphiphilic polymer-coated hybrid nanoparticles as CT/MRI dual contrast agents

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Depth-sensing nano-indentation on a myelinated axon at various stages

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Electronics and photonics

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Passivated nanopores withstand extreme voltages

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Optical properties of quantum-dot-decorated polymer nanofibers

Capacity based nondestructive readout for complementary resistive switches

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Energy at the nanoscale

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Reversible degradation of inverted organic solar cells by concentrated sunlight

Nanosilicon in water as a source of hydrogen: size and pH matter

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Hydrogen storage inside graphene-oxide frameworks

How localized are energy dissipation processes in nanoscale interactions?

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Patterning and nanofabrication

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Fabrication and characterization of bit-patterned media beyond 1.5 Tbit/in2

Nanotechnology Highlights 2011

Rapid turnaround scanning probe nanolithography