Soluble polymer-based, blown bubble assembly of single- and double-layer nanowires with shape control.

Abstract

We present here an efficient blown bubble method for large-scale assembly of semiconducting nanowires, with simultaneous control on the material shape. As-synthesized Te nanowires in powder form are dispersed in a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) solution, assembled in a large size bubble blown from the solution, and then transferred (repeatedly) to arbitrary substrates. By this way, we have obtained single-layer (aligned) and double-layer (crossed) Te nanowires as well as buckled Te nanosprings which are converted from initially straight nanowires in situ during bubble blowing. The PMMA bubble film can be removed by direct dissolution in acetone to expose nanostructures with clean surface while maintaining original configuration. After matrix removal, these clean nanowire and nanospring arrays can be fabricated into functional nanoelectronic devices such as photodetectors and gas sensors with high performance.