Evaporating Fluid Microstructures: A Means of Directing Nanoparticle Assembly

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT CTS-0244592 K. Stebe, Johns Hopkins University The behavior of thin liquid films, with suspended nanoparticles, on energetically non-uniform solid substrates will be investigated in the proposed project. The research is proposed in two steps. The first part is to harness interfacial interactions, which dominate at small scales, in evaporating water films to direct the formation of new fluid microstructures. The second part is to study methods for depositing nanoparticles on surfaces by dispersion of nanoparticles in the liquid layer and systematic evaporation using surfactants in the liquid surface. If successful, this research could have significant impact on many applications including storage devices, biosensors, and MEMS devices.