Abstract: Vapor deposition methods of atoms and molecules have been widely used in a variety of fabrication techniques for micro- and nanoscale devices. However, recent advances in the synthesis of nanomaterials have resulted in a new class of materials consisting of many atoms, usually with long-range order, which cannot be vaporized without destroying this ordered structure. Therefore, novel liquid-based methods must be developed to manipulate and deposit such nanomaterials on arbitrary substrates while preserving their structure. We have developed techniques that use fluidic interfaces to control and confine 1D and 2D nanomaterials, yielding self-assembled monolayers of such materials that can then be transferred to different substrates for functionality. These techniques have allowed us to realize ultrathin structures, leading to significant performance improvements in two different areas: membrane separations and electrochromic devices. My talk will revolve around the interfacial fabrication techniques, focusing on these two particular applications, detailing the structural morphologies and transport properties, and finally mentioning our efforts in scaling up.
