(80d) Controlled Deposition of Nanoparticles on a Solid Substrate: Numerical and Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Fluid Flow Both in the Absence and Presence of External Electric Field

Biomolecules are gaining great interest in the design of nano-scaled electronic devices. Our research group is specifically interested in using Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) as a biotemplate for nanotubes and nanowires construction. One important issue is the deposition of these nanoparticles on a solid substrate creating a desired nanostructure. In this study, the sessile drop evaporation method has been utilized to pattern these virus particles on a solid substrate. The method is simple and able to create a consistent deposition pattern. In addition to that, this technique can be easily extended to large scale production, large arrays of drop can be easily created through the ink jet printing method.

Finite Element Method (FEM) is used to obtain numerically the fluid flow profile inside an evaporating droplet and the particle distribution prior to drop drying. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is used to image the deposition pattern. The numerical and experimental results are compared in the case where the external electric field is absent or present.