Nanoparticle fractionation using an aligned carbon nanotube array

A technique utilizing the capillary assisted sieving capability of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to achieve fractionation of nanoparticles of small size distribution is presented. By dipping aligned CNT arrays into a solution comprising different sized quantum dots (QDs), size-selective gradient decoration of QDs onto CNTs is achieved. The fractionating capability of CNTs is also demonstrated for poly-dispersed manganese doped zinc sulfide nanoparticles and QDs of varying sizes and chemical compositions, which we attribute to the size-selective sieving effect of CNTs. By controlling the terminating point for the flow of QDs across the CNT array, a QD size specific CNT/QD hybrid structure is achieved.