Graphene, a two-dimensional, single-layer sheet of sp(2) hybridized carbon atoms, has attracted tremendous attention and research interest, owing to its exceptional physical properties, such as high electronic conductivity, good thermal stability, and excellent mechanical strength. Other forms of graphene-related materials, including graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and exfoliated graphite, have been reliably produced in large scale. The promising properties together with the ease of processibility and functionalization make graphene-based materials ideal candidates for incorporation into a variety of functional materials. Importantly, graphene and its derivatives have been explored in a wide range of applications, such as electronic and photonic devices, clean energy, and sensors. In this review, after a general introduction to graphene and its derivatives, the synthesis, characterization, properties, and applications of graphene-based materials are discussed.

Graphene-Based Materials: Synthesis, Characterization, Properties, and Applications

The ability to tailor the chemical composition and structure of a surface at the sub-100-nm length scale is important for studying topics ranging from molecular electronics to materials assembly, and for investigating biological recognition at the single biomolecule level. Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) is a scanning probe microscopy-based nanofabrication technique that uniquely combines direct-write soft-matter compatibility with the high resolution and registry of atomic force microscopy (AFM), which makes it a powerful tool for depositing soft and hard materials, in the form of stable and functional architectures, on a variety of surfaces. The technology is accessible to any researcher who can operate an AFM instrument and is now used by more than 200 laboratories throughout the world. This article introduces DPN and reviews the rapid growth of the field of DPN-enabled research and applications over the past several years.

Applications of dip-pen nanolithography.

Graphene, the thinnest two dimensional carbon material, has become the subject of intensive investigation in various research fields because of its remarkable electronic, mechanical, optical and thermal properties. Graphene-based electrodes, fabricated from mechanically cleaved graphene, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown graphene, or massively produced graphene derivatives from bulk graphite, have been applied in a broad range of applications, such as in light emitting diodes, touch screens, field-effect transistors, solar cells, supercapacitors, batteries, and sensors. In this Review, after a short introduction to the properties and synthetic methods of graphene and its derivatives, we will discuss the importance of graphene-based electrodes, their fabrication techniques, and application areas.

Graphene-Based Electrodes

The disclosure relates to methods of printing indicia on a substrate using a tip array comprised of elastomeric, compressible polymers. The tip array can be prepared using conventional photolithographic methods and can be tailored to have any desired number and/or arrangement of tips. Numerous copies (e.g., greater than 15,000, or greater than 11 million) of a pattern can be made in a parallel fashion in as little as 40 minutes.

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Polymer pen lithography

Conventional optics in the radio frequency (rf) through far-infrared (FIR) regime cannot resolve microscopic features since resolution in the far field is limited by wavelength. With the advent of near-field microscopy, rf and FIR microscopy have gained more attention because of their many applications including material characterization and integrated circuit testing. We provide a brief historical review of how near-field microscopy has developed, including a review of visible and infrared near-field microscopy in the context of our main theme, the principles and applications of near-field microscopy using millimeter to micrometer electromagnetic waves. We discuss and compare aspects of the remarkably wide range of different near-field techniques, which range from scattering type to aperture to waveguide structures.

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High-frequency near-field microscopy

Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN): process and instrument performance with NanoInk's Nscriptor system

The various embodiments provide methods and apparatus high-throughput reading and decoding of information-encoding features (especially identification features) on pharmaceutical compositions for the purpose of e.g. counterfeiting detection and inventory tracking/tracing. A preferred embodiment provides high-throughput imaging of regular arrays of pharmaceutical tablets with a scanning electron microscope. Another preferred embodiment provides video-rate scanning probe imaging of pharmaceutical compositions and especially atomic force microscopy imaging thereof.

High throughput inspecting

Stamps and methods of making stamps for applications in anti-counterfeiting and authentication. The stamps are relatively small in size and feature nanoscale and microscale identification regions and features. High throughput manufacturing and high resolution methods are used to make the stamps including electron beam lithography and optical lithography. Anti-fouling coatings can be applied.

Stamps with micrometer-and nanometer-scale features and methods of fabrication thereof

Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN?) is an important technique for nanotechnology and a fundamental new tool for studying the consequences of miniaturization. In this scanning probe technique a sharp tip is coated with a functional molecule (the 'ink') then brought into contact with a surface where it deposits ink via a water meniscus. The DPN process is a direct-write pattern transfer technique with nanometer resolution and is inherently general with respect to usable inks and substrates, including biomolecules such as proteins and oligonucleotides. We present functional extensions of the basic DPN process by showing multiple active probes along with the ability to load different inks onto probe tips. We present the fabrication process and characterization of thermomechanically actuated probes that use the bimorph effect to induce deflection of individual cantilevers as well as the integration of these probes with control electronics and an interface module. As an additional improvement to DPN functionality, we developed the capability to write with different inks on the probe array, permitting the fabrication of multicomponent nanodevices in one writing session. For this purpose, we fabricate passive microfluidic devices and present the microfluidic behavior and ink loading performance of these components.

Functional extensions of Dip Pen NanolithographyTM: active probes and microfluidic ink delivery

Semi-automated or automated manufacturing of micro- or nanostructured identification features on objects and compositions, and especially pharmaceutical compositions. In particular, a motorized stamping apparatus capable of precise hot embossing with or without closed-loop control of the loading; a modular stamp head for a high-throughput parallel stamping apparatus that comprise an array of compact, error-tolerant, individually temperature-controllable stamping elements; inexpensive stamp holders for said elements, as well as associated methods. The inventive features do not reside in the method of making the stamps.

Bjoern Rosner

Papers

Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN): process and instrument performance with NanoInk's Nscriptor system

High throughput inspecting

Stamps with micrometer-and nanometer-scale features and methods of fabrication thereof

Functional extensions of Dip Pen NanolithographyTM: active probes and microfluidic ink delivery

Apparatus and methods for preparing identification features including pharmaceutical applications