Probe based manipulation and assembly of nanowires into organized mesostructures

A convenient approach to patterning inorganic and organic nanowires using a novel probe manipulator is presented. The system utilizes an electrochemically etched tungsten wire probe mounted onto a 3D actuator that is directed by a 3D controller. When it is engaged by the user, the movement of the probe and the forces experienced by the tip are simultaneously reported in real time. Platinum nanowires are manipulated into organized mesostructures on silicon chip substrates. In particular, individual nanowires are systematically removed from aggregates, transferred to a chosen location, and manipulated into complex structures in which selected wires occupy specific positions with defined orientations. Rapid prototyping of complex mesostructures, by pushing, rotating and bending conjugated polymer, i.e., polyfluorene, nanowires into various configurations, is also achieved. By exploiting the strong internal axial alignment of polymer chains within the polyfluorene nanowires, mesostructures tailored to exhibit distinctly anisotropic optical properties, such as birefringence and photoluminescence dichroism, are successfully assembled on fused silica substrates.