Name: origami inspired self-assembly of patterned and reconfigurable particles
Uploaded: 2013-02-04T09:53:00
Duration: 12 min 33 s
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles at JoVE.com

We acknowledge funding from the NSF through grants CMMI 0854881 and CBET 1066898. The authors thank Matthew Mullens for helpful suggestions.

<ol>
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No conflicts of interest declared.

Our origami-inspired assembly process is versatile and can be used for synthesizing a variety of 3D static and reconfigurable particles with a wide range of materials, shapes and sizes. Further, the ability to precisely pattern sensors and electronic modules on these particles is important for optics and electronics. In contrast to patchy particles formed by alternate methods, where patterns are relatively imprecise, this methodology provides a means to synthesize precisely patterned particles. In surface tension based assembly, the use of liquefying sealing hinges ensures that the particles are well sealed and mechanically rigid after assembly (on cooling). Previously, we have observed that the seams are leak-proof even for small molecules39,40. Electrodeposition of a thin layer of Au after assembly can provide additional strength and enhance the leak proof nature of the seams. The thin film stress based folding is useful for applications in which stimuli responsive folding is required such as in microgrippers that have been used to perform in vitro and in vivo biological sampling and in pick-and-place operations in robotics. While the specific methodology described here can be used to create reconfigurable microgrippers that only close once, the appropriate choice of materials and methods to manipulate stress in bilayers can be utilized to also create grasping devices that can be reconfigured over multiple-cycles37, 41. The highlight of the use of residual stress to power these devices is that they do not require any tethers or wires and so have excellent maneuverability to enable actuation in hard to reach places. Further, by an appropriate choice of polymeric triggers, stimuli responsive behavior can be enabled with a range of stimuli including enzymes42 to enable autonomous function of relevance to robotics and surgery.

<table border="1">
	<tbody>
 <tr>
 <td>Name of the reagent</td>
 <td>Company</td>
 <td>Catalogue number</td>
 <td>Comments </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>950 Poly methyl methacrylate A11 </td>
 <td>Micro Chem</td>
 <td>M230011</td>
 <td>Sacrificial layer</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Chromium-plated tungsten rods</td>
 <td>R. D. Mathis Company</td>
 <td>CRW-2</td>
 <td>Evaporation source for Cr</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Copper slug</td>
 <td>Alfa Aesar</td>
 <td>7440-50-8</td>
 <td>Evaporation source for Cu</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Gold slug</td>
 <td>Alfa Aesar</td>
 <td>7440-57-5</td>
 <td>Evaporation source for Au</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>SPR 220 7.0</td>
 <td>Rohm and Haas</td>
 <td>10016640</td>
 <td>Positive photoresist </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>S 1800 series photoresists</td>
 <td>Rohm and Hass</td>
 <td></td>
 <td>Positive photoresist </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Megaposit MF- 26 A developer </td>
 <td>Rohm and Haas</td>
 <td>10016574</td>
 <td>Developer for SPR 220 7.0 photoresist</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Microposit 351 developer</td>
 <td>Rohm and Hass</td>
 <td>10016653</td>
 <td>Developer for S 1800 series photoresists</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Nickel Sulfamate</td>
 <td>Technic Inc.</td>
 <td>030175</td>
 <td>Plating solution for Ni</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Techni Solder Mate NF 820 60/40 RTU</td>
 <td>Technic Inc.</td>
 <td>330681</td>
 <td>Plating solution for Pb-Sn hinges</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>APS 100 Copper etchant </td>
 <td>Transene Company Inc.</td>
 <td>021221</td>
 <td>Copper etchant </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>CRE 473 Chromium etchant </td>
 <td>Transene Company Inc.</td>
 <td>040901</td>
 <td>Chromium etchant</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>1-Methyl-2-Pyrollidinone (NMP)</td>
 <td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
 <td>M79603</td>
 <td>High boiling point organic solvent for Pb-Sn hinge based self-folding </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>Indalloy 5RMA flux</td>
 <td>Indium Corporation of America</td>
 <td>FL28372</td>
 <td>Chemical that cleans the solder surface and inhibits oxidation for good Pb-Sn reflow</td>
 </tr>
	 </tbody>
 </table>

origami inspired self-assembly of patterned and reconfigurable particles

There are numerous techniques such as photolithography, electron-beam lithography and soft-lithography that can be used to precisely pattern two dimensional (2D) structures. These technologies are mature, offer high precision and many of them can be implemented in a high-throughput manner. We leverage the advantages of planar lithography and combine them with self-folding methods1-20 wherein physical forces derived from surface tension or residual stress, are used to curve or fold planar structures into three dimensional (3D) structures. In doing so, we make it possible to mass produce precisely patterned static and reconfigurable particles that are challenging to synthesize.
In this paper, we detail visualized experimental protocols to create patterned particles, notably, (a) permanently bonded, hollow, polyhedra that self-assemble and self-seal due to the minimization of surface energy of liquefied hinges21-23 and (b) grippers that self-fold due to residual stress powered hinges24,25. The specific protocol described can be used to create particles with overall sizes ranging from the micrometer to the centimeter length scales. Further, arbitrary patterns can be defined on the surfaces of the particles of importance in colloidal science, electronics, optics and medicine. More generally, the concept of self-assembling mechanically rigid particles with self-sealing hinges is applicable, with some process modifications, to the creation of particles at even smaller, 100 nm length scales22, 26 and with a range of materials including metals21, semiconductors9 and polymers27. With respect to residual stress powered actuation of reconfigurable grasping devices, our specific protocol utilizes chromium hinges of relevance to devices with sizes ranging from 100 &mu;m to 2.5 mm. However, more generally, the concept of such tether-free residual stress powered actuation can be used with alternate high-stress materials such as heteroepitaxially deposited semiconductor films5,7 to possibly create even smaller nanoscale grasping devices.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles at JoVE.com

Origami Inspired Self-assembly of Patterned and Reconfigurable Particles

We describe experimental details of the synthesis of patterned and reconfigurable particles from two dimensional (2D) precursors. This methodology can be used to create particles in a variety of shapes including polyhedra and grasping devices at length scales ranging from the micro to centimeter scale.

There are numerous techniques such as photolithography, electron-beam lithography and soft-lithography that can be used to precisely pattern two ...

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Gene-therapy Inspired Polycation Coating for Protection of DNA Origami Nanostructures

DNA origami nanostructures hold an immense potential to be used for biological and medical applications. However, low-salt conditions and nucleases in ...

Synthesis of Monodisperse Cylindrical Nanoparticles via Crystallization-driven Self-assembly of Biodegradable Block Copolymers

The production of monodisperse cylindrical micelles is a significant challenge in polymer chemistry. Most cylindrical constructs formed from diblock ...