Patent ID: 6382299
Filing Date: 2002-05-07
Classification: C23C,Y10T

Abstract:
A process for preparing metal microcylinders comprising the steps of:(a) dissolving a diacetylenic lipid in a solvent for the lipid to form a lipid solution, (b) decanting a syrup layer after the lipid was dissolved in the solvent, (c) adding water to the lipid solution to form a lipid solvent/water solution, (d) heating the lipid solvent/water solution above transition temperature for the lipid and allowing the lipid to self-assemble into lipid tubules to form tubule solvent/water dispersion, (e) removing solvent from the tubule solvent/water dispersion to form tubule water suspension, (f) adding a salt to the tubule water dispersion to reduce pH to acidic, (g) adding a Pdâ€”Sn catalyst to the acidic tubule water dispersion to form a tubule water suspension, (h) adding the tubule water suspension to an electroless plating bath containing water and at least one metal plating reagent, (i) electroless plating the metal onto the surfaces of the tubules to make metallized electrically conducting tubules, (j) separating the metallized electrically conducting tubules from the plating bath, and (k) removing the lipid from the metallized electrically conducting tubules to form metal microcylinders.