Anisotropic micro-cloths fabricated from DNA-stabilized carbon nanotubes: one-stop manufacturing with electrode needles

TL;DR

This paper introduces a one-stop dielectrophoretic method to produce anisotropic DNA-stabilized carbon nanotube micro-cloths with potential bioelectronic applications, maintaining structural order and biocompatibility.

Contribution

It presents a novel electrode needle-based fabrication process for free-standing DNA-CNT micro-cloths with high polarization, simplifying production and enhancing bio-compatibility.

Findings

Achieved 40% polarization in DNA-CNT micro-cloths.

Produced micro-cloths of 10-100 μm size with maintained structural order.

Demonstrated potential for biofuel cell applications.

Abstract

Among a variety of solution-based approaches to fabricate anisotropic films of aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs), we focus on the dielectrophoretic assembly method using AC electric fields in DNA-stabilized CNT suspensions. We demonstrate that a one-stop manufacturing system using electrode needles can draw anisotropic DNA-CNT hybrid films of 10-100 $\mu$m in size (i.e., free-standing DNA-CNT micro-cloths) from the remaining suspension into the atmosphere while maintaining structural order. It has been found that a maximal degree of polarization (ca. 40 \%) can be achieved by micro-cloths fabricated from a variety of DNA-CNT mixtures. Our results suggest that the one-stop method can impart biocompatibility to the downsized CNT films and that the DNA-stabilized CNT micro-cloths directly connected to an electrode could be useful for biofuel cells in terms of electron transfer and/or enzymatic activity.