Abstract
When a colloidal suspension is allowed to wet a suitable substrate, various patterns emerge that can be varied from isolated island-like structures to fractal patterns. In this work we investigate the patterns arising from the interplay of colloidal copper sulfate suspensions containing carbon nanotubes with few-layer graphene substrates. The compositions of the thin film samples were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, surface topography and the nanostructure of the thin films were probed with atomic force microscope and transmission electron microscope respectively. The colloidal suspensions were characterized using contact angle and viscosity measurements. The colloidal suspensions when dip coated on few-layer graphene substrates exhibited fractal like morphology with the aggregation of copper sulfate crystallites to hexagonal platelets. This aggregation is explained invoking the depletion attraction theory. The various patterns observed experimentally were reproduced using a Monte Carlo simulation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
C. Hsu, Y. Yang, K. Wood, Chin. J. Phys. 45, 686 (2007)
Roy, S. Roy, A.J. Bhattacharyya, S. Banerjee, S. Tarafdar, Eur. Phys. J. B 12, 1 (1999)
Yu.J. Zhai, Z. Li, M. Wan, M. Gao, L. Jiang, Thin Solid Films 516, 5107 (2008)
N.V. Didenko, E.M. Kim, D.A. Muzychenko, A.A. Nikulin, O.A. Aktsipetrov, Appl. Phys. B 74, 647 (2002)
U. Thiele, A. Stannard, C.P. Martin, E. Pauliac-Vaujour, P. Moriarty, J. Phys. Chem. C 112, 15195 (2008)
E. Rabani, D.R. Reichman, P.L. Geissler, L.E. Brus, Nature 426, 271 (2003)
U. Thiele, A. Stannard, C.P. Martin, E. Pauliac-Vaujour, P. Moriarty, J. Phys. Chem. C 112, 15195 (2008)
M. Mertig, U. Thiele, J. Bradt, G. Leibiger, W. Pompe, H. Wndrock, Surf. Interface Anal. 25, 514 (1997)
C.G. Sztrum, O. Hod, E. Rabani, J. Phys. Chem. B 109, 6741 (2005)
G. Yosef, E. Rabani, J. Phys. Chem. B 110, 20965 (2006)
S.K. Das, M.M. Sharma, R.S. Schecher, J. Phys. Chem. 100, 7122 (1997)
A. Patti, Physicochem. Eng. Asp. 361, 81 (2010)
Z. Lijuan, Z. Xuehua, F. Chunhai, Z. Yi, H. Jun, Langmuir 25, 8860 (2009)
H.Z. Xue, M. Nobuo, S.J.C. Vincent, Langmuir 22, 5025 (2006)
F.M. John, F.S. William, E.S. Peter, D.B. Kenneth, Handbook of x-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (Perkin-Elmer Physical Electronics Division, Eden Prairie, 1993)
F. Li, W. Bi, T. Kong, Q. Qin Optical, Cryst. Res. Technol. 44(7), 729 (2007)
F. Li, T. Kong, W. Bi, D. Li, Z. Li, X. Huang, Appl. Surf. Sci. 255, 6285 (2009)
T. Araki, H. Tanaka, J. Phys., Condens. Matter 20, 072101 (2008)
M. Zanella, G. Bertoni, I.R. Franchini, R. Brescia, D. Baranov, L. Manna, Chem. Commun. 47, 203 (2010)
D. Marenduzzo, K. Finan, P.R. Cook, J. Cell Biol. 175(5), 681 (2006)
T.K. Sau, C.J. Murphy, Langmuir 21, 2923 (2005)
G.H. Koenderink, G.A. Vleiegenthart, S.G. Kluijtmans, A. Blaaderen, A.P. Philipse, H.N. Lekkerkerker, Langmuir 15, 4693 (1999)
X. Li, Y. Liu, X. Wei, J. Chem. Eng. Data 49(4), 1043 (2004)
S. Vafaei, T. Borca-Tascius, M.Z. Podowski, A. Purkayastha, G. Ramamath, P.M. Ajayan, Nanotechnology 17, 2523 (2006)
X.H. Zhang, G. Li, N. Maeda, J. Hu, Langmuir 22, 9238 (2006)
C.P. Martin, M.O. Blunt, E. Pauliac-Vaujour, A. Stannard, P. Moriarty, I. Vancea, U. Thiele, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 116103 (2007)
B.M. Besancon, P.F. Green, Phys. Rev. E 70, 051808 (2004)
K. Katrgupta, R. Konnur, A. Sharma, Langmuir 16(10), 243 (2000)
S.H. Al-Harthi, M. Al-Barwani, M. Elzain, N. Al-Naamani, T. Hysen, J. Appl. Phys. 110, 044319 (2011)
V.V. Tsukruk, H. Ko, S. Peleshanko, Nanotube surface Arrays:. Phys. Rev. Lett. 92(6), 065502 (2004)
A.W. Adamson, Physical Chemistry of Surfaces, 5th edn. (Wiley, New York, 1990)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Al-Harthi, S.H., Al-Barwani, M., Elzain, M. et al. Self-assembly of CuSO4 nanoparticles and bending multi-wall carbon nanotubes on few-layer graphene surfaces. Appl. Phys. A 105, 469–477 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-011-6588-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-011-6588-5