WFU | Growth Lab at NANOTECH

Synthesis Facility
NANOTECH @ WFU

NANOTECH is involved in a wide range of growth efforts from high temperature formation of carbon-boron materials to low temperature templating schemes. The Synthesis Lab, is a 1000 sq foot facility that is self contained for safety and provides three primary materials growth and processing capabilities.

Arc Growth Methods

Methods of arc production in BN, Carbon, and doped carbon nanotubes are available within the facility. Equipment inlcudes a "Large scale" kratchmer system capable of gm/day quantities in both MWNT and SWNT formats.

Chemical Vapor Deposition

Most of the growth effort at NANOTECH centers on new CVD techniques. Doped carbon nanotubes, nanowires, and patterned systems of nanoparticles can generally be created at temperature between 750 C and 1100 C. Substrates we use are silica and sapphire, usually, though more electro-active ceramics are now under study

Pulsed Laser Ablation

High energy, pulsed laser ablation and growth of nanostructures is currently under development at the Center. based on high power YAG lasers, carbon, oxide, and other ceramic materials can be created in nanophase

Chemical Assembly Techniques

As part of our ongoing research efforts, new techniques for the assembly of nanoparticles are being developed. These include templated grwo of nanostructures, particularly metals and polymers, along with chemical self assembly.

Sihai Chen, S. Webster, R. Czerw, Jianfeng Xu, and D. L. Carroll “Morphology Effects on the Optical Properties of Silver Nanoparticles” Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 4(3) 2004, 254-259.

Sihai Chen, and David L. Carroll, “Silver Nanoplates: Size Control in Two Dimensions and Formation Mechanisms,” J. Phys. Chem. B 2004, 108, 5500-5506

S. Chen, Z.L. Wang, J. Ballato, S. Foulger, and D.L. Carroll, “Monopod, Bipod, and Tetrapod Gold Nanocrystals”, Journal of the American Chemical Society ja038927. DEC (2003)

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MetaMaterials and Complex Particle Assemblies

A major theme of the Nanotech Center's capabilities is the engineering of architectures in 3D using nanomaterials to tailor composite behavior. Optical materials such as Negative Index Media, as well as novel photovoltaic materials are currently under development in the Synthesis Facility.