title: Teslaphoresis of Carbon Nanotubes.
abstract: This paper introduces Teslaphoresis, the directed motion and self-assembly of matter by a Tesla coil, and studies this electrokinetic phenomenon using single-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Conventional directed self-assembly of matter using electric fields has been restricted to small scale structures, but with Teslaphoresis, we exceed this limitation by using the Tesla coil's antenna to create a gradient high-voltage force field that projects into free space. CNTs placed within the Teslaphoretic (TEP) field polarize and self-assemble into wires that span from the nanoscale to the macroscale, the longest thus far being 15 cm. We show that the TEP field not only directs the self-assembly of long nanotube wires at remote distances (>30 cm) but can also wirelessly power nanotube-based LED circuits. Furthermore, individualized CNTs self-organize to form long parallel arrays with high fidelity alignment to the TEP field. Thus, Teslaphoresis is effective for directed self-assembly from the bottom-up to the macroscale.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga , 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403, United States.|Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University , 101 Bizzell Street, College Station, Texas 77843, United States.
authors.forename: Lindsey R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Bornhoeft
authors.forename: Aida C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Second Baptist School , 6410 Woodway Drive, Houston, Texas 77057, United States.
authors.forename: Preston R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Smalley
authors.forename: Carter
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kittrell
authors.forename: Dustin K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Bruce E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Brinson
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga , 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403, United States.
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Rybolt
authors.forename: Bruce R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga , 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403, United States.
authors.forename: Tonya K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Cherukuri
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga , 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403, United States.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cherukuri
keywords: Tesla; carbon nanotubes; dielectrophoresis; directed self-assembly; wireless energy