Imaging and manipulation of gold nanorods with an atomic force microscope

Designed fabrication of nanostructures requires progress on a number of fronts in research and development. The ability to synthesize, deposit, and position nanometer scale materials is important for the development of this technology. We report here on studies of deposition and manipulation of electrochemically prepared, micelle-capped Au nanorods deposited on silicon dioxide (SiO₂) surfaces. A thiol-terminated silane (3-mercaptopropylmethyldimethoxysilane, MPMDMS) was used as an active interface for gold nanorod assembly. A scanning force microscope (SFM) was used to image and manipulate individual Au nanorods. It was found that mechanical movement of the rods depends on the location of the pushing point along the rod.