Nano-film fabrication

The Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique is one of the most conventional methods of nano-film fabrication. The polyion complex technique [221] was proposed to immobilize water-soluble bilayer forming amphiphiles and counter-charged polymers as polymeric LB films. Water-insoluble polyion complexes are formed at the air/water interface when the charged amphiphiles are directly spread on the surface of the aqueous polyelectrol 4 e solution. Alternative multilayers of the polymer and the amphiphile with stoichiometric ion pairing can be deposited onto solid substrates by the conventional LB technique [222]. The principle of the... 

Shieh K-J, Li M, Lee Y-H, Sheu S-D, Liu Y-T, Wang Y-C. Antibacterial performance of photocatalyst thin film fabricated by defection effect in visible light. Nanomed Nano-technol Biol Med 2006 2 121-6. 

Iskandar F (2009) Nanoparticle processing for optical applications—a review. Adv Powder Tech 20 283-292 Jeun J-H, Hong S-H (2010) CuO-loaded nano-porous SnO films fabricated by anodic ojddation and RIE process and their gas sensing properties. Sens Actuators B Chem 151 1-7 Jung SW, Park Wl, Yi GC, Kim M (2003) Fabrication and controlled magnetic properties of Ni/ZnO nanorod heterostructures. Adv Mater 15(15) 1358-1361... 

Aoki, Y., Kunitake, T., and Nalrao, A. (2005) Sol gel fabrication of dielectric Hft)2 nano-films formation of uniform, void-free layers and their superior electrical properties. Chem. Mater., 17, 450-458. 

Layered materials are of special interest for bio-immobilization due to the accessibility of large internal and external surface areas, potential to confine biomolecules within regularly organized interlayer spaces, and processing of colloidal dispersions for the fabrication of protein-clay films for electrochemical catalysis [83-90], These studies indicate that layered materials can serve as efficient support matrices to maintain the native structure and function of the immobilized biomolecules. Current trends in the synthesis of functional biopolymer nano composites based on layered materials (specifically layered double hydroxides) have been discussed in excellent reviews by Ruiz-Hitzky [5] and Duan [6] herein we focus specifically on the fabrication of bio-inorganic lamellar nanocomposites based on the exfoliation and ordered restacking of aminopropyl-functionalized magnesium phyllosilicate (AMP) in the presence of various biomolecules [91]. 

Fig. 13.10a. An MNF was coated with an ultra thin palladium film. The operational principle of this sensor was based on the fact that a thin palladium film has the ability to selectively absorb hydrogen. If a palladium film is exposed to hydrogen, its refractive index, and, in particular, absorbance, changes. The change in refractive index causes a change in transmission power of an MNF. The MNF fabricated in Ref. 15 had a palladium film of 4 nm in thickness and 2 mm in length. In Fig. 13.10b, the transmission power of the MNF is shown as a function of time when the sensor was exposed successively to a 3.9% concentration of hydrogen. The response time calculated from the plot was 10 s. This response time is 3 5 times faster than that of other optical hydrogen sensors and about 15 times faster than that of some electrical nano hydrogen sensors. The fast response of the sensor is, presumably, due to the ultra small thickness of the palladium film that is rapidly filled with hydrogen. Figure 13.10c shows the transmission of this sensor as a function of time for...

The use of block copolymers to form a variety of different nanosized periodic patterns continues to be an active area of research. Whether in bulk, thin film, or solution micelle states, block copolymers present seemingly unlimited opportunities for fabricating and patterning nanostructures. The wealth of microstructures and the tunability of structural dimensions make them a favorable choice for scientists in a variety of research fields. As reviewed here, they can function as nano devices themselves, or act as templates or scaffolds for the fabrication of functional nanopatterns composed of almost all types of materials. However, there are still two obvious areas which require more work control of the long-range 3D nanostructure via more user-friendly processes and the identification of new materials with different functional properties. 

Iron carbonyls have been also used to fabricate nanostructures of potential use in catalysis. In this context, the preparation at room temperature of nano-sized a-Fe single crystals over carbon micro-grid films has been reported. The particles were prepared by electron beam induced deposition using Fe(CO)s as precursor [77]. The use of a focused electron beam to induce metal deposition from carbonyl compounds opens a new route for the preparation of nano-sized metal particles. 

Last, but by no means least, reference should be made to the use of proteins in nano-fabrication [492]. One approach is illustrated by the fabrication of a 1-nm-thick metal film with 15-nm-diameters holes, periodically arranged on a triangular protein lattice [493]. Advantage was taken of the 10-nm-thick, uniformly porous surface (or S) layer of the crystalline protein obtained from the thermophilic bacterium Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. The protein was adsorbed from a dilute solution onto a molecularly smooth carbon-film surface, metal coated by evaporation, and ion milled to give spatial ordering of holes with the same nanometer periodicity as the protein lattice [493]. 

Material science can also benefit from oligomeric state of proteins. New retinal nano-ceramic materials with pillared hybrid micro-structures were fabricated for potential applications in optical holographic data storage. It was observed that the Schiff bases in retinal have substantial effect on optical properties of nano-ceramic films as well as diffraction efficiency for holographic storage. This study indicates feasibility of optimizing optical properties of nano-ceramic clay systems using Schiff bases for a variety of photonic applications.40... 

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