Membrane template synthesis of microtube engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018347057-A1
Application number	US-201815967454-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 30, 2018
Priority date	Jun 2, 2011
Publication date	Dec 6, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods, structures, devices and systems are disclosed for fabrication of microtube engines using membrane template electrodeposition. Such nanomotors operate based on bubble-induced propulsion in biological fluids and salt-rich environments. In one aspect, fabricating microengines includes depositing a polymer layer on a membrane template, depositing a conductive metal layer on the polymer layer, and dissolving the membrane template to release the multilayer microtubes.

First claim

1 .- 26 . (canceled)

27 . A microstructure for binding and transporting a substance in a fluid environment, comprising:
a microtube having a tube body that connects a large opening and a short opening at opposite ends of the microtube and that spatially reduces in size along a longitudinal direction from the large opening to the small opening, wherein the microtube includes a layered wall structure having a plurality of layers including a first layer and a second layer, wherein the second layer is an interior layer of the microtube; and a functionalization layer coupled to an external surface of the microtube, the functionalization layer including a terminal functional group providing a hydrophobic surface to the microstructure capable of adhere a substance in a fluid.

28 . The microstructure of claim 27 , wherein the first layer comprises a polymer material.

29 . The microstructure of claim 28 , wherein the polymer material comprises polyaniline (PANI) or polypyrrole (PPy) or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT).

30 . The microstructure of claim 27 , wherein the second layer comprises a material that is reactive with a fuel or is a catalyst of a fuel.

31 . The microstructure of claim 30 , wherein the material that is a catalyst of a fuel comprises platinum.

32 . The microstructure of claim 27 , wherein the layered wall structure includes a third layer that is an outer layer with respect to the first layer and the second layer, wherein the functionalization layer is coupled to the third layer.

33 . The microstructure of claim 32 , wherein the third layer comprises gold.

34 . The microstructure of claim 33 , wherein the functionalization layer includes a self-assembled monolayer including one or more alkanethiol molecules.

35 . The microstructure of claim 34 , wherein at least some of the one or more alkanethiol molecules includes at least six carbon molecules in their hydrocarbon chain.

36 . The microstructure of claim 34 , wherein at least some of the one or more alkanethiol molecules includes hexanethiols.

37 . The microstructure of claim 32 , wherein the third layer comprises a magnetic material.

38 . The microstructure of claim 32 , wherein the layered wall structure further includes a magnetic material layer disposed between the third layer and the first layer.

39 . The microstructure of claim 38 , wherein the magnetic material layer comprises nickel.

40 . The microstructure of claim 27 , wherein the functionalization layer includes a monolayer including hydrocarbon chain molecule.

41 . The microstructure of claim 27 , wherein the terminal functional group includes a methyl group.

42 . The microstructure of claim 27 , wherein the substance includes an oil, and wherein the microstructure is operable to propel in the fluid to contact the oil, adsorb a droplet of the oil, and propel away from the oil with the droplet adhered to the microstructure in a single propulsion.

43 . The microstructure of claim 27 , wherein the microstructure is producible using a template comprising one or more holes of a geometry corresponding to that of the tube body.

44 . The microstructure of claim 43 , wherein the template comprises an asymmetrical, conically-shaped pore structure.

45 . The microstructure of claim 27 , wherein the microtube comprises a self-propulsion microtube.

46 . The microstructure of claim 27 , wherein the microtube comprises a fuel based microtube.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Wang Joseph
• Gao Wei
• Sattayasamitsathit Sirilak

Classifications

• B01J23/892

  Nickel and noble metals · CPC title

• B82Y15/00

  Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors · CPC title

• B01J2531/005

  Catalytic metals · CPC title

• C25D1/006

  Nanostructures, e.g. using aluminium anodic oxidation templates [AAO] · CPC title

• B01J23/8906

  Iron and noble metals · CPC title