Methods, systems, and devices are described which facilitate mechanosynthesis through the sequential use of a plurality of tips, each of which may have a different affinity for feedstock, thereby allowing tip to tip transfers which enhance system versatility and reduce equipment complexity.

The invention relates to a novel method of producing hetero-oligomeric pores. The invention also relates to hetero-oligomeric pores produced using the method and polynucleotide characterisation using the hetero-oligomeric pores.

Provided are nanograting structures and methods of fabrication thereof that allow for stable, robust gratings and nanostructure embedded gratings that enhance electromagnetic field, fluorescence, and photothermal coupling through surface plasmon or, photonic resonance. The gratings produced exhibit long term stability of the grating structure and improved shelf life without degradation of the properties such as fluorescence enhancement. Embodiments of the invention build nanograting structures layer-by-layer to optimize structural and optical properties and to enhance durability.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a method of interconnecting nanowires is provided. The method includes providing a plurality of nanowires, providing a plurality of nanoparticles, and fusing the plurality of nanoparticles to the plurality of nanowires to interconnect the plurality of nanowires to each other via the plurality of nanoparticles. According to further embodiments of the present invention, a nanowire network and a transparent conductive electrode are also provided.

A method of assembling superparamagnetic colloids into ordered structures with magnetically tunable photonic properties in nonpolar solvents by establishing long-range electrostatic repulsive forces using charge control agents. Reverse micelles resulted from the introduction of charge control agents such as AOT molecules can enhance the charge separation on the surfaces of n-octadecyltrimethoxysilane modified Fe.sub.3O.sub.4@SiO.sub.2 particles. The significantly improved long-range electrostatic repulsion can counterbalance the magnetically induced attraction and therefore allow ordering of superparamagnetic colloids in nonpolar solvents. This system possesses fast and fully reversible optical response to the external magnetic fields, long-term stability in performance, and good diffraction intensity.

The present disclosure relates to the alignment of moieties (e.g., nanoparticles and/or nanowires) into prescribed architectures on two- and/or three-dimensional substrates (e.g., nucleic acid nanostructures/crystals). The present disclosure also relates to a nucleic acid (e.g., DNA) lithography method that includes, in some embodiments, adsorbing a bare nucleic acid nano-structure onto a surface of a substrate, and etching the surface of the substrate containing the bare nucleic acid nanostructure, thereby producing a patterned substrate.

A method for making a diaphragm is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a carbon nanotube film structure; soaking the carbon nanotube film structure with a polymer; and carbonizing the carbon nanotube film structure infiltrated in the polymer, the polymer being carbonized to an amorphous carbon structure.

A porous composite structure including a substrate including a plurality of nanostructures; a particle layer disposed on a surface of the substrate; and a liquid, a method of preparing the porous composite structure, an article including the porous composite structure, and an air purifier including the porous composite structure.

A machine-readable medium and methods of reading and writing same are disclosed. The machine-readable medium comprises a substrate having an array of addressable locations thereon, each addressable location adapted to be physically associated with a collection of non-polymeric molecules. The molecules in each collection are selected from a set of unambiguously identifiable molecules, each molecule uniquely associated with a predetermined position in a numerical value, wherein the presence of the molecule in the collection indicates a predetermined digit at the associated position and the absence of said molecule in the collection indicates a zero at said associated position.