Exploration magazine: Vanderbilt University physicists have found a way to make nanoparticle films strong enough so they don't disintegrate at the slightest touch.
Nanoparticles—ultrafine particles with diameters less than 100 nanometers—typically consist of an inorganic core coated with a thin layer of organic molecules.
These particles are not very sticky so they don't form coherent thin films unless they are encapsulated in a polymer coating or mixed with molecules called chemical "cross-linkers" that act like glue to stick the nanoparticles together. This makes the film expensive.
The Vanderbilt University physicists added a spun-cast layer of polymer to the electrodes that serves as a pattern that organizes the nanoparticles as they are deposited in a technique called electrophoretic deposition. Then, after the deposition process is completed, they dissolve (sacrifice) the polymer layer to free the nanoparticle film.
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Sacrificial layer electrophoretic deposition of freestanding multilayered nanoparticle films
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