Chemistry and Polymers
As it stands right now, nanotechnology owes a lot to the
field of solid-state chemistry and polymer chemistry. Both are essential in synthesizing nanoscale structures and
devices.
Solid State Chemistry
This field is responsible for synthesizing materials in a
solid form with tailored physical, electronic, and chemical properties. There are a variety of synthesis routes
available for chemists when it comes to nanoscale structures. All chemical synthesis routes are a bottom-up
approach compared to the semiconductor industry’s top-down approach. This will be discussed later.
Most synthesis techniques are extremely dangerous and
sensitive to the environment. Visiting
one involves passing through several clean rooms, wearing hairnets, and
possibly a full suit. A speck of dust
may seem inconsequential to you, but when you’re trying to fabricate something
with nanoscale features you can’t have any dust in the environment.
Two common solid-state synthesis routes are Chemical Vapor
Deposition (CVD) and Electrodeposition (ED).
One advanced route to realizing future materials involves what is known
as self-assembly.
With CVD, you essentially spray a volatile chemical mix into
a chamber. The apparatus must be set up
to take advantage of various thermodynamic properties and chemical reactions in
order for a nanoscale device to be created.
Things like nanowires, nanotubes, and Buckyballs can be made with CVD.
Electrodeposition works with electrical potentials rather
than chemical potentials. Most of the
newer nanoscale grain-size metals are created with electrodeposition and
careful control of dopants. Reverse
electrodeposition, a form of corrosion, can be used to create nanoporous materials
that also have interesting prosperities.
One interesting approach to synthesis of nanoscale materials
is self-assembly. By taking advantage
of relative attraction forces between molecules, it is possible to create
larger networks of molecules to ultimately form a useful material.
Polymer Chemistry
Polymers mostly play an auxiliary role in the formation of
nanoscale materials. In some instances,
like the core-corona synthesis route, polymerization reactions can actually
create uniform distributions of quantum dots.
However, the best thing about polymers is their ability to be tuned with
functional side groups.
It’s possible, for instance, to create a matrix of an electrically
active polymer embedded with semiconductor quantum dots. The polymer can either remove or add charge
from the quantum dots to ’pump’ a quantum dot laser matrix. Sound nutty? It’s already been done!
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