Facilitating controlled molecular assembly of nanoscale structures via dynamic confinement of solvent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12384101-B2
Application number	US-202017766495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2020
Priority date	Oct 10, 2018
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments provide a system that performs molecular assembly. During operation, the system delivers one or more droplets of a fluid onto a surface using a nanofluidic delivery probe and an associated high-precision positioning device, wherein the solution comprises a solvent and one or more solute molecules, and wherein delivery of the droplets onto the surface facilitates evaporation-driven assembly of one or more structures on the surface. Moreover, while delivering a droplet onto the surface, the system controls a size of the droplet and a shape of the droplet during evaporation to produce a variety of shapes in resulting structures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for performing molecular assembly, comprising:
delivering one or more droplets of a solution onto a surface using a nanofluidic delivery probe without electrohydrodynamic action;
wherein the solution comprises a solvent and one or more solute molecules;
and
wherein while delivering each droplet, the probe controls a size of the droplet and a shape of the droplet during evaporation, by controlling two or more of:
a location of the delivery probe with respect to a middle of the droplet during said delivery;
a contact time for the delivery probe in the droplet during said delivery; and
a speed at which the delivery probe is withdrawn from the droplet during said delivery.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more droplets comprise sub-femtoliter droplets.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the size and the shape of the droplet further involves controlling one or more of the following:
a contact angle between the probe and the droplet;
a delivery pressure for the droplet;
a delivery time for the droplet;
an evaporation time for the droplet;
a surface functionality of the surface;
a surface functionality of the delivery probe;
a contact force for the delivery probe;
a concentration of the solute;
an ambient humidity; and
an ambient temperature.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein delivering the one or more droplets involves performing a three-dimensional (3D) nanoprinting process, wherein the solution is dispensed layer-by-layer following designed trajectories for each layer to form one or more three-dimensional structures.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanofluidic delivery probe is part of a two-dimensional array of nanofluidic delivery probes, which can perform molecular assembly operations in parallel.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanofluidic delivery probe is connected to a reservoir containing the solution, and a pressure-control mechanism.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanofluidic delivery probe has an opening diameter from 5 nm to 10 μm.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solution includes one or more of the following: polyelectrolytes, organic molecules, inorganic molecules, and nanoparticles having a diameter from 1-100 nm.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a solventphilic surface.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a solventphobic surface.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more structures include one or more of the following:
a disc;
a multi-layer disc;
a mound;
an asymmetric hollow structure;
a symmetric hollow structure; and
a structure with a designed geometry.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more structures are 10 μm or smaller.

13. A method for performing molecular assembly, comprising:
delivering one or more droplets of a solution onto a surface using a nanofluidic delivery probe;
wherein the solution comprises a solvent and one or more solute molecules;
wherein delivery of the one or more droplets onto the surface facilitates evaporation-driven assembly of one or more structures on the surface;
wherein while delivering a droplet, the method controls a size of the droplet and a shape of the droplet during evaporation;
wherein the solute is comprised of one or more polymers, including a star polymer [(polystyrene) 34 -(poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate) 40 ] 39 ; and
wherein the solvent is a mixture of water, ethanol, and glycerol.

14. A system for performing molecular assembly, comprising:
an atomic force microscope (AFM);
a nanofluidic delivery probe; and
a controller, which is configured to control the AFM and associated nanofluidic delivery probe;
wherein the system is configured to deliver one or more droplets of a solution onto a surface without electrohydrodynamic action, wherein the solution comprises a solvent and one or more solute molecules, and wherein delivery of the one or more droplets onto the surface facilitates evaporation-driven assembly of one or more structures on the surface; and
wherein while delivering each droplet, the system is configured to control a size of the droplet and a shape of the droplet during evaporation, by controlling one or more of:
a contact angle between the probe and the droplet;
a delivery pressure for the droplet; and
a delivery time for the droplet.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more droplets comprise sub-femtoliter droplets.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein while controlling the shape of the droplet, the system is further configured to control one or more of the following during the droplet-delivery process:
a location of the delivery probe with respect to a middle of the droplet;
a contact time for the delivery probe in the droplet; and
a speed at which the delivery probe is withdrawn from the droplet.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein while controlling the size and the shape of the droplet, the system is further configured to control one or more of the following:
an evaporation time for the droplet;
a surface functionality of the surface;
a surface functionality of the delivery probe;
a contact force for the delivery probe;
a concentration of the solute;
an ambient humidity; and
an ambient temperature.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein delivering the one or more droplets involves performing a three-dimensional (3D) nanoprinting process, wherein the solution is dispensed layer-by-layer following designed trajectories for each layer to form one or more three-dimensional structures.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the nanofluidic delivery probe is part of a two-dimensional array of nanofluidic delivery probes, which can perform molecular assembly operations in parallel.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the nanofluidic delivery probe is connected to a reservoir containing the solution, and a pressure-control mechanism.

21. The system of claim 14 , wherein the nanofluidic delivery probe has an opening diameter from 5 nm to 10 μm.

22. The system of claim 14 ,
wherein the solute is comprised of one or more polymers, including a star polymer [(polystyrene) 34 -(poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate) 40 ] 39 ; and
wherein the solvent is a mixture of water, ethanol, and glycerol.

23. The system of claim 14 , wherein the solution includes one or more of the following: polyelectrolytes, organic molecules, inorganic molecules, and nanoparticles having a diameter from 1-100 nm.

24. The system of claim 14 , wherein the surface is a solventphilic surface.

25. The system of claim 14 , wherein the surface is a solventphobic surface.

26. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more structures include one or more of the following:
a disc;
a multi-layer disc;
a mound;
an asymmetric hollow structure;
a symmetric hollow structure; and
a structure with a designed geometry.

27. The system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more structures are 10 μm or smaller.

Assignees

• Univ California
• Ibm Almaden Res Center

Inventors

• Zhang Jiali
• Puinova Victoria A
• Liu Yang
• Frommer Jane
• Liu Gang-Yu

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29K2105/0073

  Solution · CPC title

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y30/00 Primary

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title