scholarly journals Directed nucleation and growth by balancing local supersaturation and substrate/nucleus lattice mismatch

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (14) ◽  
pp. 3575-3580 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Li ◽  
A. J. Fijneman ◽  
J. A. Kaandorp ◽  
J. Aizenberg ◽  
W. L. Noorduin

Controlling nucleation and growth is crucial in biological and artificial mineralization and self-assembly processes. The nucleation barrier is determined by the chemistry of the interfaces at which crystallization occurs and local supersaturation. Although chemically tailored substrates and lattice mismatches are routinely used to modify energy landscape at the substrate/nucleus interface and thereby steer heterogeneous nucleation, strategies to combine this with control over local supersaturations have remained virtually unexplored. Here we demonstrate simultaneous control over both parameters to direct the positioning and growth direction of mineralizing compounds on preselected polymorphic substrates. We exploit the polymorphic nature of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to locally manipulate the carbonate concentration and lattice mismatch between the nucleus and substrate, such that barium carbonate (BaCO3) and strontium carbonate (SrCO3) nucleate only on specific CaCO3 polymorphs. Based on this approach we position different materials and shapes on predetermined CaCO3 polymorphs in sequential steps, and guide the growth direction using locally created supersaturations. These results shed light on nature’s remarkable mineralization capabilities and outline fabrication strategies for advanced materials, such as ceramics, photonic structures, and semiconductors.

Author(s):  
M. Sarikaya ◽  
J. T. Staley ◽  
I. A. Aksay

Biomimetics is an area of research in which the analysis of structures and functions of natural materials provide a source of inspiration for design and processing concepts for novel synthetic materials. Through biomimetics, it may be possible to establish structural control on a continuous length scale, resulting in superior structures able to withstand the requirements placed upon advanced materials. It is well recognized that biological systems efficiently produce complex and hierarchical structures on the molecular, micrometer, and macro scales with unique properties, and with greater structural control than is possible with synthetic materials. The dynamism of these systems allows the collection and transport of constituents; the nucleation, configuration, and growth of new structures by self-assembly; and the repair and replacement of old and damaged components. These materials include all-organic components such as spider webs and insect cuticles (Fig. 1); inorganic-organic composites, such as seashells (Fig. 2) and bones; all-ceramic composites, such as sea urchin teeth, spines, and other skeletal units (Fig. 3); and inorganic ultrafine magnetic and semiconducting particles produced by bacteria and algae, respectively (Fig. 4).


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liman Hou ◽  
Marta Dueñas-Diez ◽  
Rohit Srivastava ◽  
Juan Perez-Mercader

<p></p><p>Belousov-Zhabotinsky (B-Z) reaction driven polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA), or B-Z PISA, is a novel method for the autonomous one-pot synthesis of polymer vesicles from a macroCTA (macro chain transfer agent) and monomer solution (“soup”) containing the above and the BZ reaction components. In it, the polymerization is driven (and controlled) by periodically generated radicals generated in the oscillations of the B-Z reaction. These are inhibitor/activator radicals for the polymerization. Until now B-Z PISA has only been carried out in batch reactors. In this manuscript we present the results of running the system using a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) configuration which offers some interesting advantages.Indeed, by controlling the CSTR parameters we achieve reproducible and simultaneous control of the PISA process and of the properties of the oscillatory cargo encapsulated in the resulting vesicles. Furthermore, the use of flow chemistry enables a more precise morphology control and chemical cargo tuning. Finally, in the context of biomimetic applications a CSTR operation mimics more closely the open non-equilibrium conditions of living systems and their surrounding environments.</p><p></p>


1989 ◽  
Vol 160 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bai ◽  
M-A. Nicolet ◽  
S.-J. Kim ◽  
R.G. Sobers ◽  
J.W. Lee ◽  
...  

AbstractSingle layers of ~ 0.5µm thick InuGa1-uAs1-vPv (0.52 < u < 0.63 and 0.03 < v < 0.16) were grown epitaxially on InP(100) substrates by liquid phase epitaxy at ~ 630°C. The compositions of the films were chosen to yield a constant banndgap of ~ 0.8 eV (λ = 1.55 µm) at room temperature. The lattice mismatch at room temperature between the epitaxial film and the substrate varies from - 4 × 10-3 to + 4 × 10-3. The strain in the films was characterized in air by x-ray double crystal diffractometry with a controllable heating stage from 23°C to ~ 700°C. All the samples have an almost coherent interfaces from 23°C to about ~ 330°C with the lattice mismatch accomodated mainly by the tetragonal distortion of the epitaxial films. In this temperature range, the x-ray strain in the growth direction increases linearly with temperature at a rate of (2.0 ± 0.4) × 10-6/°C and the strain state of the films is reversible. Once the samples are heated above ~ 300°C, a significant irreversible deterioration of the epitaxial films sets in.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (52) ◽  
pp. eabd3557
Author(s):  
Franco N. Piñan Basualdo ◽  
A. Bolopion ◽  
M. Gauthier ◽  
P. Lambert

Future developments in micromanufacturing will require advances in micromanipulation tools. Several robotic micromanipulation methods have been developed to position micro-objects mostly in air and in liquids. The air-water interface is a third medium where objects can be manipulated, offering a good compromise between the two previously mentioned ones. Objects at the interface are not subjected to stick-slip due to dry friction in air and profit from a reduced drag compared with those in water. Here, we present the ThermoBot, a microrobotic platform dedicated to the manipulation of objects placed at the air-water interface. For actuation, ThermoBot uses a laser-induced thermocapillary flow, which arises from the surface stress caused by the temperature gradient at the fluid interface. The actuated objects can reach velocities up to 10 times their body length per second without any on-board actuator. Moreover, the localized nature of the thermocapillary flow enables the simultaneous and independent control of multiple objects, thus paving the way for microassembly operations at the air-water interface. We demonstrate that our setup can be used to direct capillary-based self-assemblies at this interface. We illustrate the ThermoBot’s capabilities through three examples: simultaneous control of up to four spheres, control of complex objects in both position and orientation, and directed self-assembly of multiple pieces.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 775-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Jun Ren ◽  
Han Wu ◽  
Min-Biao Hu ◽  
Yu-Han Wei ◽  
Yue Lin ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zan Hua ◽  
Joseph R. Jones ◽  
Marjolaine Thomas ◽  
Maria C. Arno ◽  
Anton Souslov ◽  
...  

AbstractUnderstanding and controlling self-assembly processes at multiple length scales is vital if we are to design and create advanced materials. In particular, our ability to organise matter on the nanoscale has advanced considerably, but still lags far behind our skill in manipulating individual molecules. New tools allowing controlled nanoscale assembly are sorely needed, as well as the physical understanding of how they work. Here, we report such a method for the production of highly anisotropic nanoparticles with controlled dimensions based on a morphological transformation process (MORPH, for short) driven by the formation of supramolecular bonds. We present a minimal physical model for MORPH that suggests a general mechanism which is potentially applicable to a large number of polymer/nanoparticle systems. We envision MORPH becoming a valuable tool for controlling nanoscale self-assembly, and for the production of functional nanostructures for diverse applications.


1993 ◽  
Vol 312 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Park ◽  
H.- Y. Wei ◽  
L. Salamanca-Riba ◽  
B. T. Jonker

AbstractWe present evidence for two types of ordered structures, CuAu-I and CuPt, in Zn1−xFexSe (x≈ 0.4) epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. These ordered structures are observed in both electron diffraction patterns and cross-sectional high-resolution lattice images. The CuAu-I ordered structure occurs in Zn1−xFexSe epilayers grown on (001) InP substrates, while the CuPt-type occurs in epilayers grown on (001) GaAs substrates. The ordered structure of Zn1−xFexSe grown on InP substrates consists of alternating ZnSe and FeSe layers along the [001] growth direction and the [110] direction. In contrast, the ordered structure of Zn1−xFexSe grown on GaAs substrates consists of alternating ZnSe and FeSe layers along the < 111 > directions. We have also investigated the role of the misfit strain associated with the lattice mismatch between the epilayers and the substrates on the type of ordered structure.


2014 ◽  
Vol 50 (83) ◽  
pp. 12556-12559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Makoto Sakurai ◽  
Pradyot Koley ◽  
Masakazu Aono

Morphological transition and the fabrication of unique architectures through molecular self-assembly of dipeptides are caused by artificial local supersaturation. Their growth process is analyzed using new experimental methods.


1997 ◽  
Vol 490 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. S. Plekhanov ◽  
U. M. Gösele ◽  
T. Y. Tan

ABSTRACTNucleation of voids and vacancy-type dislocation loops in Si under vacancy supersaturation conditions has been considered. Based upon nucleation barrier calculations, it has been found that voids can be nucleated, but not dislocation loops. The homogeneous nucleation rate of voids has been calculated for different temperatures by assuming different enthalpy values of Si vacancy formation. The process of void growth due to precipitation of vacancies has been numerically simulated. Comparing results of the nucleation and the growth modeling and taking into account the competition between the two processes, the limited time available, and the crystal cooling rate after growth, it has been shown that homogeneous nucleation of voids to experimentally observed densities and void growth to observed sizes is possible if enthalpy of Si vacancy formation is within the range of 2.9 to 3.6 eV with the nucleation temperature in the range of 980–1080 °C.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document