Fabrication and Characterization of Double- and Single-Clamped CuO Nanowire Based Nanoelectromechanical Switches

Electrostatically actuated nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches hold promise for operation with sharply defined ON/OFF states, high ON/OFF current ratio, low OFF state power consumption, and a compact design. The present challenge for the development of nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) technology is fabrication of single nanowire based NEM switches. In this work, we demonstrate the first application of CuO nanowires as NEM switch active elements. We develop bottom-up and top-down approaches for NEM switch fabrication, such as CuO nanowire synthesis, lithography, etching, dielectrophoretic alignment of nanowires on electrodes, and nanomanipulations for building devices that are suitable for scalable production. Theoretical modelling finds the device geometry that is necessary for volatile switching. The modelling results are validated by constructing gateless double-clamped and single-clamped devices on-chip that show robust and repeatable switching. The proposed design and fabrication route enable the scalable integration of bottom-up synthesized nanowires in NEMS.

Promoting CO2 electroreduction on CuO nanowires with a hydrophobic Nafion overlayer

A hydrophobic electrode surface was constructed by modifying the CuO nanowire electrode with a thick Nafion overlayer, which exhibited enhanced selectivity toward the CO2 electroreduction reaction and suppressed hydrogen evolution activity.

Author Correction: Au nanoparticles modified CuO nanowire electrode based non-enzymatic glucose detection with improved linearity

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.