Citation: Hui Li, Zhenjie Zhao, Bingqiang Ji, Jun Ma, Xuwu Zhang, Jingzhao Chen, Zhangran Ye, Zuankai Wang, Liqiang Zhang, Jianyu Huang, Yingdan Liu. Electric tweezer for single microscopic particle trapping[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(3): 110655. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110655 shu

Electric tweezer for single microscopic particle trapping

Hui Li ^a ,
Zhenjie Zhao ^b ,
Bingqiang Ji ^c ,
Jun Ma ^a ,
Xuwu Zhang ^d ,
Jingzhao Chen ^a ,
Zhangran Ye ^a ,
Zuankai Wang ^e ,
Liqiang Zhang ^{a, *,} ,
Jianyu Huang ^{a, *,} ,
Yingdan Liu ^{b, *,}

a.
Clean Nano Energy Center, State Key Lab of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, and College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
b.
Center for Advanced Structural Materials, State Key Lab of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, and College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
c.
School of Astronautics, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
d.
Nano-biotechnology Key Lab of Hebei Province, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
e.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China

lqzhang@ysu.edu.cn

jhuang@ysu.edu.cn

ydliu@ysu.edu.cn

Received Date: 21 September 2024
Revised Date: 7 November 2024
Accepted Date: 19 November 2024
Available Online: 26 November 2024

Figures(4)

Trapping and manipulating microscopic particles (micron or nano) in a liquid environment are of great significance for research and applications in nanoscience, engineering, and biomedicine. Although optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers, acoustic tweezers, etc. have been successfully developed, it is still challenging to separate, select, and manipulate micron and submicron particles with comparable morphologies and sizes in trace amounts of liquids with high viscosity and extremely tiny concentrations. Herein, an electric tweezer with measurable force was introduced in an environmental transmission electron microscope (ETEM) for trapping a single submicron particle in high viscosity liquids. The critical voltages for trapping SiO₂ and TiO₂ spheres were determined to be 75 V and 25 V, respectively, due to their dielectric characteristics. As a result, although TiO₂ particles exhibited a similar size and morphology, they were able to be successfully separated from a mixed suspension of SiO₂ and TiO₂. Moreover, by applying a reasonable bias voltage to the electric tweezer and customizing the size and shape of the tweezer tip, individual 500, 750, and 1000 nm TiO₂ spheres could be easily trapped from the corresponding TiO₂ suspension. The displacements of atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilevers indicated that the forces to trapped a single particle gradually increased with the diameter of the particles. Additionally, the electric tweezer could precisely manipulate a single particle, and stack a specific structure on the top of the electric tweezer. When the electric tweezer was combined with an optical microscope, it could successfully transfer a 5 µm SiO₂ sphere to a HeLa cell. Precisely trapping and manipulating micron and submicron particles is the foundation for fabricating microdevices to achieve specific functions, and it also show great potential for use in biological applications.
- Electric tweezers,
- Single particle trapping,
- Precisely manipulation,
- In-situ TEM,
- Microdevices assembly
1. [1]
  C. Baur, A. Bugacov, B.E. Koel, et al., Nanotechnology 9 (1998) 360. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/9/4/011
2. [2]
  B. Polyakov, S. Vlassov, L.M. Dorogin, et al., Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 5 (2014) 133–140. doi: 10.3762/bjnano.5.13
3. [3]
  C.D. Onal, O. Ozcan, M. Sitti, Automated 2-D Nanoparticle Manipulation With an Atomic Force Microscope, IEEE ICRA, Kobe, 2009, pp. 1814–1819.
4. [4]
  Y. Jin, W. Xu, H. Zhang, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 119 (2022) e2105459119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2105459119
5. [5]
  O.V. Salata, J. Nanobiotechnol. 2 (2004) 3. doi: 10.1186/1477-3155-2-3
6. [6]
  S. Hettiarachchi, H. Cha, L. Ouyang, et al., Lab Chip 23 (2023) 982–1010. doi: 10.1039/d2lc00793b
7. [7]
  T. Chen, C. Huang, Y. Wang, J. Wu, Chin. Chem. Lett. 33 (2022) 1180–1192. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2021.07.067
8. [8]
  C.G. Yang, R.Y. Pan, Z.R. Xu, Chin. Chem. Lett. 26 (2015) 1450–1454. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2015.10.016
9. [9]
  A. Ashkin, J.M. Dziedzic, J.E. Bjorkholm, S. Chu, Opt. Lett. 11 (1986) 288–290. doi: 10.1364/OL.11.000288
10. [10]
  A. Ashkin, J.M. Dziedzic, T. Yamane, Nature 330 (1987) 769–771. doi: 10.1038/330769a0
11. [11]
  G.B. Ashis, C. Sagar, K.G. Satyandra, L. Wolfgang, J. Biomed. Opt. 16 (2011) 051302. doi: 10.1117/1.3579200
12. [12]
  S. Ghosh, A. Ghosh, Nat. Commun. 10 (2019) 4191. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12217-2
13. [13]
  D.G. Grier, Nature 424 (2003) 810–816. doi: 10.1038/nature01935
14. [14]
  D. Gao, W. Ding, M. Nieto-Vesperinas, et al., Light Sci. Appl. 6 (2017) e17039. doi: 10.1038/lsa.2017.39
15. [15]
  K.B. Crozier, Light Sci. Appl. 8 (2019) 35. doi: 10.1038/s41377-019-0146-x
16. [16]
  Q. Jiang, B. Rogez, J.B. Claude, et al., ACS Photonics 6 (2019) 1763–1773. doi: 10.1021/acsphotonics.9b00519
17. [17]
  M.B. Rasmussen, L.B. Oddershede, H. Siegumfeldt, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74 (2008) 2441–2446. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02265-07
18. [18]
  K. Dholakia, B.W. Drinkwater, M. Ritsch-Marte, Nat. Rev. Phys. 2 (2020) 480–491. doi: 10.1038/s42254-020-0215-3
19. [19]
  S. Yang, J. Rufo, R. Zhong, et al., Nat. Rev. Phys. 18 (2023) 2441–2458. doi: 10.1038/s41596-023-00844-5
20. [20]
  F.J. Alenghat, B. Fabry, K.Y. Tsai, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 277 (2000) 93–99. doi: 10.1006/bbrc.2000.3636
21. [21]
  D.L. Fan, F.Q. Zhu, R.C. Cammarata, C.L. Chien, Nano Today 6 (2011) 339–354. doi: 10.1016/j.nantod.2011.05.003
22. [22]
  J. Chen, D. Liu, J. Qiu, et al., IEEE Photon. J. 14 (2022) 1–4.
23. [23]
  H. Başağaoğlu, S. Succi, D. Wyrick, J. Blount, Sci. Rep. 8 (2018) 8583. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-26786-7
24. [24]
  G.D. Chen, F. Fachin, M. Fernandez-Suarez, et al., Small 7 (2011) 1061–1067. doi: 10.1002/smll.201002076
25. [25]
  X. Mu, W. Zheng, J. Sun, et al., Small 9 (2013) 9–21. doi: 10.1002/smll.201200996
26. [26]
  J.Y. Huang, L. Zhong, C.M. Wang, et al., Science 330 (2010) 1515–1520. doi: 10.1126/science.1195628
27. [27]
  X. Huang, X. Guo, Y. Ding, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 32 (2021) 598–603. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2020.11.041
28. [28]
  B.W. Kwaadgras, M. Verdult, M. Dijkstra, R. van Roij, J. Chem. Phys. 135 (2011) 134105. doi: 10.1063/1.3637046
29. [29]
  Y. Nakajima, T. Matsuyama, J. Electrostat. 55 (2002) 203–221. doi: 10.1016/S0304-3886(01)00198-X
30. [30]
  A. Sihvola, J. Nanomater. 2007 (2007) 45090.
31. [31]
  D. Chen, L. Cao, F. Huang, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132 (2010) 4438–4444. doi: 10.1021/ja100040p
32. [32]
  D. Erts, A. Lõhmus, R. Lõhmus, H. Olin, Appl. Phys. A 72 (2001) S71–S74. doi: 10.1007/s003390100636
33. [33]
  R. Macy, J. Chem. Educ. 12 (1935) 573. doi: 10.1021/ed012p573
34. [34]
  P. Lambert, A. Chau, A. Delchambre, S. Régnier, Langmuir 24 (2008) 3157–3163. doi: 10.1021/la7036444
35. [35]
  O.H. Pakarinen, A.S. Foster, M. Paajanen, et al., Model Simul. Mat. Sci. Eng. 13 (2005) 1175. doi: 10.1088/0965-0393/13/7/012
36. [36]
  Y. Tong, Z. Wu, B. Zhou, et al., Chin. Chem. Lett. 35 (2024) 109062. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109062
37. [37]
  O.V. Kim, P.F. Dunn, Aerosol. Sci. Technol. 44 (2010) 292–301. doi: 10.1080/02786821003591802
38. [38]
  J. Lekner, J. Appl. Phys. 114 (2013) 224902. doi: 10.1063/1.4845835
1. [1]
  Wenxuan Yang , Long Shang , Xiaomeng Liu , Sihan Zhang , Haixia Li , Zhenhua Yan , Jun Chen . Ultrafast synthesis of nanocrystalline spinel oxides by Joule-heating method. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(11): 109501-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109501
2. [2]
  Bei Li , Zhaoke Zheng . In situ monitoring of the spatial distribution of oxygen vacancies at the single-particle level. Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry, 2024, 43(10): 100331-100331. doi: 10.1016/j.cjsc.2024.100331
3. [3]
  Guifeng Wen , Zheyuan Zhong , Yue Fan , Xuelin Tian , Shilin Huang . Multidimensional droplet manipulation on superhydrophobic surfaces using acoustic tweezers. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(5): 110672-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110672
4. [4]
  Wen-Xuan Song , Yao-Yu Cai , Ying-Jie Liu , Shuang-Quan Zang . Cation-driven assembly of gold(Ⅰ) tweezers towards lighted circularly polarized phosphorescence. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(9): 110326-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110326
5. [5]
  Wenli Xu , Yingzhao Zhang , Rui Wang , Chenyang Liu , Jialin Liu , Xiangyu Huo , Xinying Liu , He Zhang , Jianxu Ding . In-situ passivating surface defects of ultra-thin MAPbBr3 perovskite single crystal films for high performance photodetectors. Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry, 2025, 44(1): 100454-100454. doi: 10.1016/j.cjsc.2024.100454
6. [6]
  Qiu-Jie Chen , Tian-Ying Gu , Zhao-Bo Hu , Man-Bo Zhang , Zheng Yin , Ming-Hua Zeng . Tandem assembly-disassembly-reassembly of hierarchical Co19 coordination cluster facilitated by in-situ ligand transformation: Crystallography and ESI-MS revealed mechanism. Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry, 2025, 44(9): 100659-100659. doi: 10.1016/j.cjsc.2025.100659
7. [7]
  Lin Xu , Lifen Liu , Guohua Chen , Deming Xia . In-situ grown high-load single-atom Fe on MoS₂/CFC with super high activity in ammonia synthesis via electrochemical nitrate reduction. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2026, 37(3): 111188-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111188
8. [8]
  Lina Zou , Dengke Wang , Shiqin Lai , Xunheng Jiang , Siqi Chen , Lanqing Deng , Dong Fan , Hengshuai Li , Zhigang Zhou , Denglong Chen , Xiangyang Yao , Jianping Zou . Local spin-state manipulation of iron single-atom sites induced by sulfur modification to boost Fenton-like reaction. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(12): 111094-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2025.111094
9. [9]
  Zhipeng Wan , Hao Xu , Peng Wu . Selective oxidation using in-situ generated hydrogen peroxide over titanosilicates. Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry, 2024, 43(6): 100298-100298. doi: 10.1016/j.cjsc.2024.100298
10. [10]
  Wangyan Hu , Ke Li , Xiangnan Dou , Ning Li , Xiayan Wang . Nano-sized stationary phase packings retained by single-particle frit for microchip liquid chromatography. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(4): 108806-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108806
11. [11]
  Siwei Wang , Wei-Lei Zhou , Yong Chen . Cucurbituril and cyclodextrin co-confinement-based multilevel assembly for single-molecule phosphorescence resonance energy transfer behavior. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(12): 110261-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110261
12. [12]
  Guan-Nan Xing , Di-Ye Wei , Hua Zhang , Zhong-Qun Tian , Jian-Feng Li . Pd-based nanocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction: Preparation, performance, and in-situ characterization. Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry, 2023, 42(11): 100021-100021. doi: 10.1016/j.cjsc.2023.100021
13. [13]
  Peng Jia , Yunna Guo , Dongliang Chen , Xuedong Zhang , Jingming Yao , Jianguo Lu , Liqiang Zhang . In-situ imaging electrocatalysis in a solid-state Li-O₂ battery with CuSe nanosheets as air cathode. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(5): 108624-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.108624
14. [14]
  Abiduweili Sikandaier , Yukun Zhu , Dongjiang Yang . In-situ decorated cobalt phosphide cocatalyst on Hittorf's phosphorus triggering efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production. Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry, 2024, 43(2): 100242-100242. doi: 10.1016/j.cjsc.2024.100242
15. [15]
  Yan-Li Li , Zhi-Ming Li , Kai-Kai Wang , Xiao-Long He . Beyond 1,4-addition of in-situ generated (aza-)quinone methides and indole imine methides. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(7): 109322-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2023.109322
16. [16]
  Wenhao Feng , Chunli Liu , Zheng Liu , Huan Pang . In-situ growth of N-doped graphene-like carbon/MOF nanocomposites for high-performance supercapacitor. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2024, 35(12): 109552-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.109552
17. [17]
  Zunjie Zhang , Mengran Liu , Bingcheng Ge , Tianfang Yang , Shuaitong Wang , Yang Liu , Shuyan Gao . In-situ reconstructed Cu/NiO nanosheets synergistically boosting nitrate electroreduction to ammonia. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(8): 110657-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110657
18. [18]
  Yongyi Li , Jin Han , Xiangyu Wang , Zhenwei Wei . In-situ reaction monitoring and kinetics study of photochemical reactions by optical focusing inductive electrospray mass spectrometry. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(9): 110708-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110708
19. [19]
  Xiaoxi Zhao , Qingyun Dou , Pei Tang , Bingjun Yang , Qunji Xue , Xingbin Yan . In-situ construction of solid electrolyte interphase for stable zinc anode via synergy of electrochemical reduction and chemical precipitation. Chinese Chemical Letters, 2025, 36(11): 110422-. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110422
20. [20]
  Jinlv Wei , Jianlong Zhang , Huan Wen , Zhixiang Zhai , Fangyuan Guan , Zelong Sun , Jia Wu , Shibin Yin . Tuning the eg∗ band broadening of the in-situ NiOOH by W doping for efficient biomass electrooxidation. Chinese Journal of Structural Chemistry, 2025, 44(5): 100541-100541. doi: 10.1016/j.cjsc.2025.100541

Get Citation

PDF

XML

Metrics

PDF Downloads(0)
Abstract views(17)
HTML views(1)

通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

1.
沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142