Magnetically Actuated Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Abstract
We couple magnetic tweezer techniques with standard lithography methods to make magnetically actuated single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) devices. Parallel arrays of 4-10 m-long SWNT cantilevers are patterned with one end anchored to the substrate and the other end attached to a micron-scale iron magnetic tag that is free to move in solution. Thermal fluctuations of this tag provide a direct measurement of the spring constant of the SWNT cantilevers, yielding values of 10-7-10-8 N/m. This tag is also a handle for applying forces and torques using externally applied magnetic field gradients. These techniques provide a platform on which interaction forces between SWNTs and other objects such as biomolecules and cells can be measured in situ. © 2015 American Chemical Society.