Nanomaterial-incorporated blown bubble films for large-area, aligned nanostructures

Developing flexible and scalable methods for controlled assembly of nanomaterials remains a critical challenge in nanotechnology. In this article, we review the progress in assembly of nanostructures with a focus on the recently reported method utilizing a bubble expansion process to align one-dimensional nanostructures embedded in blown bubble films. This approach is general and enables efficient assembly of a variety of nanomaterials over large areas on both rigid and flexible substrates, with good control on the orientation and density. The basic blown bubble film process, generality, mechanism, unique characteristics, and potential applications are discussed.