Bubble-Pen Lithography for Directed Hierarchical Assembly of Anisotropic Nanomaterials

• Applicant: Dr. Eric Harris Hill, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 447787198

Bubble-pen lithography (BPL) provides a versatile platform to achieve patterning of colloidal particles by optically controlled microbubbles, which are generated by laser heating of metal nanostructures. The use of BPL for directed assembly at the bubble interface would provide multiple advantages over the current fabrication methods for hierarchically-assembled layered materials. Inspired by preliminary studies, I seek to understand how hierarchical assembly of anisotropic nanoparticles at the bubble interface be controlled by surface chemistry and use this knowledge to create functional self-assembled materials of pre-determined orientation from the nanoscale to the macroscale. Orientational control over the assembly of particles at the bubble interface via chemical modification of the edges and faces will allow the assembly of particles in predictable configurations such as end/end and side/side. The use of BPL will also provide a more flexible means to form hierarchical structures near-instantaneously and in a manner which allows directed formation of specific patterns on surfaces. In addition, chemical cross-linking or polymerization of molecules coating the particles will allow a direct route for the formation of hollow structures. This research will lead to improved techniques for directed fabrication of materials with applications in photonics, sensing, and photocatalysis.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Major Instrumentation: Inverted Fluorescence Microscope
• Instrumentation Group: 5040 Spezielle Mikroskope (außer 500-503)