Manipulating the motion of gold aggregates using stimulus-responsive patterned polymer brushes as a motor

An important goal and major challenge of material science and nanotechnology is building nanomotors for manipulating the motion of nanoparticles (NPs). Here, it is demonstrated that patterned, stimulus-responsive polymer brush microstructures can be used as motor arrays to manipulate the movement of gold NP aggregates in response to external stimuli that induce a conformational change in the brushes as the driving force. The motion of NP aggregates in the out-of-plane direction is achieved with displacements ranging from nanometers to sub-micrometers. These patterned polymer-brush microstructures can find applications as efficient motor arrays and nanosensors, and benefit the design of more complex nanodevices. Patterned, stimulus-responsive, "egg-cup"-shaped polymer brush microstructures can be used as motor arrays to manipulate the movement of gold nanoparticle (NP) aggregates in response to external stimuli that induce a conformational change in the brushes as the driving force. The motion of NP aggregates in the out-of-plane direction was achieved with displacements ranging from nanometers to sub-micrometers. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Duke Scholars

Author Stefan Zauscher Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materia ...