Alignment of Carbon Nanotubes by Acoustic Manipulation in a Fluidic Medium

We describe a novel solution-based acoustic manipulation technique for the parallel alignment of carbon nanotubes on solid substrates. The acoustic radiation force and acoustic streaming, which are generated from the transmission of ultrasound through a fluid, facilitate the mobility of the nanotubes and result in their alignment on the substrate surface. A theoretical model considering various forces and resultant torques exerted on the nanotubes is first proposed for analyzing the alignment through a fluid medium.