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| Full text is available from:
http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/0957-4484/16/12/063/
Tailored transport through
vertically aligned carbon nanofibre membranes;
controlled synthesis, modelling, and passive
diffusion experiments
J D Fowlkes
et al 2005 Nanotechnology
16
3101-3109 doi:10.1088/0957-4484/16/12/063
J D Fowlkes1,2,4,
B L Fletcher1,
E D Hullander1,
K L Klein1,2,
D K Hensley1,
A V Melechko1,2,
M L Simpson1,2 and
M J Doktycz1,3
1 Molecular-Scale Engineering and
Nanoscale Technologies Research Group, Condensed
Matter Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National
Laboratory, PO Box 2008, MS 6006, Oak Ridge, TN
37381-6006, USA
2 Materials Science and Engineering
Department, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville,
TN 37996-2200, USA
3 Life Sciences Division, Oak Ridge
National Laboratory, PO Box 2008, MS 6123, Oak
Ridge, TN 37831, USA
4 Author to whom any correspondence
should be addressed
E-mail:
jfowlkes@ornl.gov
Abstract. The ability to control the
permeability of a synthetic membrane structure
formed by a spatially stochastic forest of
vertically aligned carbon nanofibres is
demonstrated. Control of membrane pore size and
morphology was achieved by varying the thickness
of a uniform, conformal coating of SiO2
on the nanofibre surfaces. Characterization of
passive diffusion using fluorescence microscopy
and labelled latex beads confirms the ability to
alter membrane permeability. Further,
statistically reproducible transport regimes are
predicted for the spatially stochastic membrane
as a function of the nanofibre diameter by a
Monte Carlo simulation technique. Realizing
predictable nanoscale behaviour in a
microscopically random, statistical structure is
essential for applications requiring controlled,
species specific transport.
Print publication:
Issue 12 (December 2005)
Received 24 June 2005, in
final form 30 September 2005
Published 11 November 2005
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