Solution-mediated selective nanosoldering of carbon nanotube junctions for improved device performance.

As-grown randomly aligned networks of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) invariably suffer from limited transport properties due to high resistance at the crossed junctions between CNTs. In this work, Joule heating of the highly resistive CNT junctions is carried out in the presence of a spin-coated layer of a suitable chemical precursor. The heating triggers thermal decomposition of the chemical precursor, tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium (Pd2(dba)3), and causes local deposition of Pd nanoparticles at the CNT junctions, thereby improving the on/off current ratio and mobility of CNT network devices by an average factor of ∼6.

Nanosoldering carbon nanotube junctions by local chemical vapor deposition for improved device performance.

The performance of carbon nanotube network (CNN) devices is usually limited by the high resistance of individual nanotube junctions (NJs). We present a novel method to reduce this resistance through a nanoscale chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. By passing current through the devices in the presence of a gaseous CVD precursor, localized nanoscale Joule heating induced at the NJs stimulates the selective and self-limiting deposition of metallic nanosolder.

Silver cluster formation, dynamics, and chemistry in metal-organic frameworks.

Synthetic methods used to produce metal nanoparticles typically lead to a distribution of particle sizes. In addition, creation of the smallest clusters, with sizes of a few to tens of atoms, remains very challenging. Nanoporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a promising solution to these problems, since their long-range crystalline order creates completely uniform pore sizes with the potential for both steric and chemical stabilization.