Assemblies of Carbon Nanotubes and Unencapsulated Sub-10-nm Gold Nanoparticles

Qingling Hang, Purdue University
Matthew R. Maschmann, Birck Nanotechnology Center, School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
Timothy Fisher
David B. Janes, Purdue University

Abstract

The development ofassemblies consisting ofunencapsulated, sub-10-nm gold particles attached to individual carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with diameters of 2 nm is described. The assemblies are formed on the surface ofa porous anodic alumina (PAA) template on which the CNTs (singleor double-walled) are grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The Au nanoparticles are formed through an indirect evaporation technique using a silicon nitride membrane mask, and diffuse along the PAA surface into the regions containing CNTs. The nanoparticles bind relatively strongly to the CNTs, as indicated by observations ofnanoparticles that are suspended over pores or that move along with the CNTs. This approach may provide a new method to functionalize CNTs for chemical or biological sensing and fundamental studies of nanoscale contacts to CNTs.