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Nanoscale Assembly of Nanowires Templated by Microtubules
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 February 2011
Abstract
Conventional top-down lithographic processes approach their practical and theoretical limits at dimensional scales less than 100 nm. Alternative bottom-up methods are being investigated to build nanoscale architectures, including the use of biomolecules whose functional groups bind inorganic particles. In this study, the fabrication and alignment of microtubule-based nanowires are investigated. Microtubules (MT) are fibrous proteins found in nearly all eukaryotes. Our work was carried out using polymerized alpha- and beta-tubulins, which were cross-linked with glutaraldehyde to stabilize the protein structure. Ni coated microtubules were fabricated by reducing Ni2+ to Ni0 on Pd activated microtubule surface. Focus Ion Beam was used to write metal contacts on these Ni microtubule nanowires and DC conductivity values were measured. Au deposition on MT was performed by both electroless deposition and electrodeposition, by reducing HAuCl4 onto MT prebound with 2 nm Au colloids. Although most MTs exhibited discontinuous Au binding, a fraction of MTs were covered completely by Au. Preliminary electrical measurements for these materials are reported. Alignment of microtubules was also achieved by injecting MTs into microfluidic devices over amine-coated substrate surfaces. These biotemplating approaches are the first steps towards constructing more complicated 2D and 3D architectures.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 901: Symposium R – Assembly at the Nanoscale – Toward Functional Nanostructured Materials , 2005 , 0901-Ra16-41-Rb16-41
- Copyright
- Copyright © Materials Research Society 2006
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