Generic nanomaterial positioning by carrier and stationary phase design.

A generic approach for deploying various types of synthetic nanomaterials, including single-walled carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles, at well-defined locations on substrates is presented. The assembly is achieved through the complementary design of the stationary and carrier phases and utilizes the dewetting process during which polymer-encapsulated nanomaterials are delivered and positioned on predefined locations of substrates. Covalent modification of the nano-objects is not required for the building block positioning, therefore, preserving their intrinsic chemical and physical properties. The potency of this new approach is demonstrated for various synthetic nanomaterials, such as polystyrene, silica, and gold nanoparticles as well as single-walled carbon nanotubes, showing highly specific and direct patterning of cm2 areas using a generic assembly strategy.