Jiang Chaoyang, Markutsya Sergiy, Pikus Yuri, Tsukruk Vladimir V
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA.
Nat Mater. 2004 Oct;3(10):721-8. doi: 10.1038/nmat1212. Epub 2004 Sep 26.
Highly sensitive sensor arrays are in high demand for prospective applications in remote sensing and imaging. Measuring microscopic deflections of compliant micromembranes and cantilevers is developing into one of the most versatile approaches for thermal, acoustic and chemical sensing. Here, we report on an innovative fabrication of compliant nanocomposite membranes with nanoscale thickness showing extraordinary sensitivity and dynamic range, which makes them candidates for a new generation of membrane-based sensor arrays. These nanomembranes with a thickness of 25-70 nm, which can be freely suspended over large (hundred micrometres) openings are fabricated with molecular precision by time-efficient, spin-assisted layer-by-layer assembly. They are designed as multilayered molecular composites made of a combination of polymeric monolayers and a metal nanoparticle intralayer. We demonstrate that these nanocomposite membranes possess unparalleled sensitivity and a unique autorecovering ability. The membrane nanostructure that is responsible for these outstanding properties combines multilayered polymer/nanoparticle organization, high polymer-chain orientation, and a pre-stretched state.
高灵敏度传感器阵列在遥感和成像等潜在应用中需求巨大。测量柔性微膜和微悬臂梁的微观挠度正发展成为热、声和化学传感领域最通用的方法之一。在此，我们报道了一种创新的制备方法，可制备出具有纳米级厚度的柔性纳米复合膜，其展现出非凡的灵敏度和动态范围，这使其成为新一代基于膜的传感器阵列的候选材料。这些厚度为25 - 70纳米的纳米膜，能够自由悬浮在大尺寸（数百微米）的开口上，通过高效省时的旋转辅助逐层组装以分子精度制备而成。它们被设计为由聚合物单层和金属纳米颗粒内层组合而成的多层分子复合材料。我们证明这些纳米复合膜具有无与伦比的灵敏度和独特的自动恢复能力。赋予这些优异性能的膜纳米结构结合了多层聚合物/纳米颗粒结构、高聚合物链取向和预拉伸状态。
