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US 2020/0238284 A1Published application
Fluidic carbon nanotube device
AssigneeLawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
InventorsEric A. MESHOT, Steven Field BUCHSBAUM, Francesco FORNASIERO
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Abstract
Fluidic and electrofluidic devices comprising carbon nanotubes and methods of making and using the same are provided. The carbon nanotubes may be densely bundled to span an aperture in a substrate. A polymeric coating over the substrate may contain reservoir(s) etched therein, the reservoir(s) in fluid connectivity with the carbon nanotubes. X-rays may be directed through the aperture and fluid-filled carbon nanotubes with x-ray analysis providing data on fluid structure and dynamics inside the carbon nanotubes.
Claims20
A fluidic device comprising:
- a substrate comprising a first face and a second face, the second face which is opposite to the first face is separated from the first face by a distance defining a thickness;
- a first aperture through the substrate;
- a first plurality of equi-length, hollow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) arranged in parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first face of the substrate, each CNT of the first plurality comprising an open input end and an open output end and wherein adjacent CNTs in the first plurality are in contact with one another, wherein:
- the first plurality of CNTs is a txw array, wherein t, which represents a number of CNTs in a first direction parallel to the face of the substrate, is from 1 to about 5,000 and w, which represents a number of CNTs in a second direction parallel to the face of the substrate, is about 10 to about 50,000, wherein the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other;
- a density of CNTs in the first plurality is from about 5×1010 to about 5×1012 CNTs cm−2;
- and
- the input ends of the CNTs of the first plurality are flush with each other, in contact with the first face of the substrate, and from about 0.1 to about 500 μm from the first aperture.
4 more elements
A fluidic device comprising:
- a substrate comprising a first face and a second face, which is opposite to the first face and is separated from the first face by a distance defining a thickness;
- a first aperture through the substrate;
- a first plurality of equi-length hollow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) arranged in parallel to each other and substantially parallel to the first face of the substrate, each CNT comprising an open input end and an open output end;
- adjacent CNTs in contact with one another, wherein:
- the first plurality of CNTs is a txw array, wherein t, which represents a number of CNTs in a first direction perpendicular to the first face of the substrate, is 1 to about 5,000, and w, which represents a number of CNTs in a second direction parallel to the first face of the substrate, is about 10 to about 50,000;
- a density of CNTs in the first plurality is from about 5×1010 to about 5×1012 CNTs cm2;
- and
- the input ends are flush with each other;
- wherein from about 0.1% to 100% of the CNTs of the first plurality span the first aperture.
6 more elements
A method of forming a fluidic device comprising:
- forming a first aperture though a substrate comprising a first face and a second face, which is opposite to the first face is separated from the first face by a distance defining a thickness;
- depositing on the first face of the substrate a plurality of equi-length, hollow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) arranged in parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the first face of the substrate;
- and
- realigning the plurality of CNTs, parallel to the first face of the substrate over the aperture.
1 more element
A method of analyzing the dynamics of a fluid inside of a CNT comprising:
- directing an energy beam through an aperture in a substrate comprising a first face and a second face, which is opposite to the first face and is separated from the first face by a distance defining a thickness, on a plurality of equi-length hollow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) arranged on the first face of the substrate over the aperture parallel to each other and parallel to the first face of the substrate, wherein an inner volume of the CNTs contains a fluid;
- and
- detecting the energy beam after scattering from the plurality of CNTs.
A method of forming an electrofluidic device , comprising:
- (a) depositing a first electrode and a second electrode, which is parallel to the first electrode, onto a first face of a substrate comprising the first face and a second face, which is opposite to the first face and is separated from the first face by a distance defining a thickness;
- (b) synthesizing CNTs onto a defined area of the first face of the substrate to produce a plurality of CNTs, which are substantially perpendicular to the first face of the substrate;
- (c) realigning the plurality of CNTs parallel to the first face of the substrate so that contacting the CNTs contact at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode;
- and
- (d) coating the substrate and the plurality of CNTs with a polymer and etching the polymer to produce one or more reservoirs in fluid connectivity with the CNTs.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.