Membrane template synthesis of microtube engines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9347143-B2
Application number	US-201214118891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2012
Priority date	Jun 2, 2011
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

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

What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating one or more microtubes, comprising:
depositing a first layer on a template that has one or more holes of a desired hole geometry to form a tube of the first layer in each hole;
depositing a second layer over the first layer inside each hole of the template to form a bilayer microtube formed of the first and second layers inside each hole; and
separating the template from each bilayer microtube;
wherein the first layer comprises a polymer material;
wherein the polymer material comprises one of polypyrrole (PPy) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second layer comprises a material that is reactive with a fuel or is a catalyst of a fuel.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the material that is reactive with a fuel or is a catalyst of a fuel comprises a conductive metal.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the material that is a catalyst of a fuel comprises platinum.

5. A method of fabricating one or more microtubes, comprising:
depositing a first layer on a template that has one or more holes of a desired hole geometry to form a tube of the first layer in each hole;
depositing a second layer over the first layer inside each hole of the template to form a bilayer microtube formed of the first and second layers inside each hole; and
separating the template from each bilayer microtube;
wherein the template comprises cyclopore polycarbonated membrane.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the cyclopore polycarbonated membrane comprises an asymmetrical, conically-shaped pore structure.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the asymmetrical conically-shaped pore structure comprises different cone angles.

8. A method of fabricating one or more microtubes, comprising:
depositing a first layer on a template that has one or more holes of a desired hole geometry to form a tube of the first layer in each hole;
depositing a second layer over the first layer inside each hole of the template to form a bilayer microtube formed of the first and second layers inside each hole; and
separating the template from each bilayer microtube;
wherein the microtube comprises a self-propulsion.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein several hundreds of microtube body lengths per second speed is achieved.

10. The method of claim 1 , the microtube comprises a fuel based microtube.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fuel based microtube uses a 0.2%-30% concentration hydrogen peroxide fuel.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the microtube is fabricated to different diameters and lengths.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separating is performed by dissolving the template.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the intermediate second layer comprises a ferromagnetic material.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the ferromagnetic material comprises nickel, iron or cobalt.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the third layer comprises a material that is reactive with a fuel or a catalyst of a fuel.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the material that is reactive with a fuel or a catalyst of a fuel comprises a conductive material.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the material that is reactive with a fuel or a catalyst of a fuel a fuel comprises platinum.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the dissolving is performed using methylene chloride.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing the second layer includes depositing the second layer by using a galvanostatic deposition.

21. A method of fabricating one or more microtubes, comprising:
depositing a first layer on a template that has one or more holes to form a tube of the first layer in each hole;
depositing an intermediate second layer over the first layer inside each hole;
depositing a third layer over the intermediate second layer inside each hold to form a trilayer microtube formed of the first, intermediate second, and third layers inside each hole; and
separating the template from each trilayer microtube;
wherein the polymer material comprises one of polypyrrole (PPy) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT).

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the separating is performed by dissolving the template.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the dissolving is performed using methylene chloride.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the depositing the second layer includes depositing the second layer by using a galvanostatic deposition.

Assignees

• Wang Joseph
• Gao Wei
• Sattayasamitsathit Sirilak
• Univ California

Inventors

• Wang Joseph
• Gao Wei
• Sattayasamitsathit Sirilak

Classifications

• B01J2235/30

  Scanning electron microscopy; Transmission electron microscopy · CPC title

• B01J2235/00

  Indexing scheme associated with group B01J35/00, related to the analysis techniques used to determine the catalysts form or properties · CPC title

• F03H99/00

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• B82Y30/00 Primary

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title

• C25D1/02 Primary

  Tubes; Rings; Hollow bodies · CPC title