organized nanoparticles
Susanna Laurén Sep 5, ’23 < 3 min

Fabricating Highly Organized Nanoparticle Thin Films

Coatings and thin films made from nanoparticles (NPs) have gained recognition and use in various products and applications including displays, sensors, medical devices, energy storage devices, and energy harvesting. Synthesis methods for nanoparticles [1] are already relatively well known, but to be able to utilize them in the applications mentioned above, NPs need to be transferred from the solution phase to a substrate’s surface – often as a monolayer or defined thickness multilayer. For this, controlled deposition methods are required. Langmuir-Blodgett and Langmuir-Schaefer provide a highly controlled method for nanoparticle monolayers at the air-liquid interface and their subsequent transfer onto a solid substrate. These methods can form high-density (poly-crystalline) monolayers on a wide variety of solid substrates, including conventionally challenging non-flat surfaces.

Langmuir Blodgett Deposition Method

Techniques that enable such control and precision during thin film formation are critically important in the development of new nanoparticle-based materials. The Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) deposition method offers a combination of controlled deposition, a wide range of substrates, and usability in ambient conditions. In an LB deposition process, a nanoparticle suspension is first deposited at the air/water interface, then, the resulting film is compressed to the desired surface pressure and particle density and then transferred onto a solid substrate by dipping the substrate into and through the particle layer. The deposition can then be repeated to fabricate alternating layer structures or performed at different speeds and temperatures.

Main benefits of the Langmuir-Blodgett technology

As a summary, with LB and LS methods, it is possible to:

  • Precisely control the monolayer (thin film) thickness and packing density
  • Achieve homogenous deposition over large areas
  • Intentionally form multilayer assemblies with specific layer compositions
  • Deposit to any kind of rigid, or even semi-rigid, substrate
  • Efficiently use the available nanoparticle suspension
Nanoparticle LB
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The blog post was published for the 1st time on the 23rd of March 2017 and has since been updated.

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