Abstract:
A system is described for the preparation of monolayers of particles or molecules comprising: means (8, 9) for injecting a thin liquid film (2) containing the particles (3) dispersed therein on a rotary element (1); means (8, 10, 11) for adjusting chemical characteristics of the particles (3) taking the particles (3) to the surface of the liquid film (2); means (1) for transporting the particles (3) adsorbed at the gas-liquid interface of the liquid film (2) into a uniform monolayer (5); means (12) for working on the uniform monolayer (5); and means (14) for transferring the worked monolayer (5) from the surface of the liquid film (2) onto a substrate.
Abstract:
The invention relates to protein thin films and compositions for use in their preparation. In one aspect reverse micelles of protein are used to prepare homogeneous thin films. The process is useful for making thin films of water-soluble proteins which might otherwise be unstable at the air/water interface. In another aspect protein thin films are thermally stabilized whilst preserving the functional properties to produce an oriented Langmuir-Blodgett protein film. Another aspect provides a method for preparing protein thin films on non-planar substrates such as microparticles. Also, in another aspect, the invention provides for chemical functionalization and site-specific mutagenesis of proteins to provide ordered protein thin films.
Abstract:
Multi-layer Langmuir-Blodgett films comprising alternate layers of an optically non-linear amphiphilic compound and a spacer compound wherein the spacer comprises at least two hydrophobic substituents, have high second order non-linear optical coefficients, are stable over a prolonged period and quadratic SHG enhancement based on the number of layers. They are useful in a variety of opto-electronic devices.
Abstract:
A method of providing a damage-resistant optical coating on a component (10) comprises depositing on the component one or more transparent or semi-transparent layers (5 - 9) of predetermined thickness by forming a required number of monomolecular layers of a material of a predetermined refractive index, using the Langmuir-Blodgett process. By use of this process, the resulting transparent or semi-transparent layers are damage-resistant, particularly to large laser output pulses. Furthermore, the thickness of the layers can be very accurately controlled, and, by adjustment of the constituents of the material in the Langmuir-Blodgett trough, the refractive index of each layer can be accurately determined. The transparent or semi-transparent layers may be alternately of high and low refractive index, and the optical thickness can be controlled to provide an anti-reflective or reflective coating.
Abstract:
A process for the preparation of an ordered polymeric film on a substrate, which process comprises: (i) providing a reservoir of the amphiphilic preformed polymer; (ii) advancing the polymeric film receiving substrate into or onto the reservoir at least once; and (iii) recovering the substrate coated with the polymeric film.
Abstract:
A technique for rapid large-scale assembly of monolayers and multilayers of nanoelements on a variety of different substrates is provided. The technique is based on self-assembly of nanoelements suspended at the interface between a polar solvent and a nonpolar solvent. The layer of nanoelements is collected onto a substrate at a shallow angle, forming a continuous monolayer or multilayer of nanoparticles which can be optionally patterned or can be transferred to other substrates to form components of nanoelectronics, optical devices, and sensors.
Abstract:
A nanowire device and a method of making a nanowire device are provided. The device includes a plurality of nanowires functionalized with different functionalizing compounds. The method includes functionalizing the nanowires with a functionalizing compound, dispersing the nanowires in a polar or semi-polar solvent, aligning the nanowires on a substrate such that longitudinal axes of the nanowires are oriented about perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate, and fixing the nanowires to the substrate.
Abstract:
Novel coatings are disclosed prepared from electropolymerization of electropolymerizable monomers-analyte complexes onto a conducting layer or non-conducting of a substrate, where the analyte is removed by electrochemically mediated washing permiting linear molecular sensing of the analyte over a wide concentration range. The coating may also include templating particles deposited on the electrod substrate prior to electropolymerization, where the particles can be removed to form a submicron structured coating. Methods for making and using the coatings are also disclosed.
Abstract:
A method of attaching a molecular layer to a substrate (38, 40) includes attaching a temporary protecting group(s) (32, 36) to a molecule (18) having a molecular switching moiety (26) with first and second connecting groups (30, 28) attached to opposed ends thereof. The temporary protecting group(s) (32, 36) is attached to the first and/or second connecting group (30, 28) so as to cause the opposed ends of the switching moiety (26) to exhibit a difference in hydrophilicity such that one of the ends remains at at least one of a water/solvent interface (34) and a water/air interface (34), and the other end remains in air during a Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) process. An LB film is formed on the interface (34). The temporary protecting group(s) (32, 36) is removed. The substrate (38, 40) is passed through the LB film to form the molecular layer chemically bonded on the substrate (38, 40). The difference in hydrophilicity between the opposed ends causes formation of a substantially well-oriented, uniform LB film at the interface (34).
Abstract:
The self-assembly of a close-packed, highly-ordered monolayers of molecularly protected nanoparticles (140) on an assembly surface (120) is disclosed. Also disclosed is the transfer of a nanoparticle monolayer from an assembly surface to a transfer surface. The transfer of a monolayer or multilayer structure of nanoparticles from a transfer surface to a substrate by conformal contact of the transfer surface with the substrate is disclosed. Also disclosed is the removal of protective molecules from nanoparticle cores by exposure to an oxidizing atmosphere (optionally in the presence of UV radiation). The exchange of protective molecules in molecularly protected nanoparticles with other molecules is also disclosed.