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AssigneeThe Trustees of Princeton University
InventorsIlhan A. Aksay, Mathias Trau, Srinivas Manne, Itaru Honma, George Whitesides
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A process directed to preparing surfactant-polycrystalline inorganic nanostructured materials having designed microscopic patterns. The process includes forming a polycrystalline inorganic substrate having a flat surface and placing in contact with the flat surface of the substrate a surface having a predetermined microscopic pattern. An acidified aqueous reacting solution is then placed in contact with an edge of the surface having the predetermined microscopic pattern. The solution wicks into the microscopic pattern by capillary action. The reacting solution has an effective amount of a silica source and an effective amount of a surfactant to produce a mesoscopic silica film upon contact of the reacting solution with the flat surface of the polycrystalline inorganic substrate and absorption of the surfactant into the surface. Subsequently an electric field is applied tangentially directed to the surface within the microscopic pattern. The electric field is sufficient to cause electro-osmotic fluid motion and enhanced rates of fossilization by localized Joule heating.
A method of forming oriented nanostructured materials comprising:
A surfactant-polycrystalline inorganic nanostructured film structure having a predetermined microscopic design pattern, the structure comprising a polycrystalline inorganic substrate having a surface, and a fossilized mesoscopic silica film formed of surfactant nanotubules which are aligned in the predetermined pattern and which are aligned parallel to the surface of the substrate throughout the thickness of the film.
A surfactant-polycrystalline inorganic nanotubule structure having an oriented predetermined microscopic design pattern of a network of channels, the structure comprising a polycrystalline inorganic substrate having a surface, and a fossilized mesoscopic silica film formed of surfactant nanotubules oriented in the predetermined pattern and which are aligned parallel to the surface of the substrate throughout the thickness of the film.
A surfactant-silicate nanotubule structure having a predetermined nanometer scaled patterning, the structure comprising a silicate substrate having design relief features comprising a network of channels and a fossilized mesoscopic silica film formed within the channels wherein the silica film comprises surfactant nanotubules aligned along the axes of the channels and aligned parallel to the surface of the substrate throughout the thickness of the film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.