#  Braided nanowires 

 



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Getting spherical colloidal particles to self-assemble is hard enough, but we decided to try something even more difficult: getting nanowires to self-assemble. The goal of this project was to get long, thin nanowires to spontaneously braid themselves.



 

##  Publications 

 



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### 2022

Zeng, C.; Faaborg, M. W.; Sherif, A.; Falk, M. J.; Hajian, R.; Xiao, M.; Hartig, K.; Bar-Sinai, Y.; Brenner, M.

[3D-Printed Machines That Manipulate Microscopic Objects Using Capillary Forces](/publications/3d-printed-machines-manipulate-microscopic-objects-using-capillary-forces). *Nature* **2022**, *611*, 68-73.





 

 

Zeng, C.; Faaborg, M. W.; Sherif, A.; Falk, M. J.; Hajian, R.; Xiao, M.; Hartig, K.; Bar-Sinai, Y.; Brenner, M.

[3D-Printed Machines That Manipulate Microscopic Objects Using Capillary Forces](/publications/3d-printed-machines-manipulate-microscopic-objects-using-capillary-forces). *Nature* **2022**, *611*, 68-73.





 

 

 

- [ descriptionPublisher's Version](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05234-7)
 
- [ descriptionPublisher's Version](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05234-7)
 
 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

##  Alumni 

 



  [### Ahmed Sherif

 ](/people/ahmed-sherif) <ahmedsherif@g.harvard.edu>PhD Applied Physics 2025

 

 

 Ahmed was a PhD student in Applied Physics studying capillary machines. Ahmed is also a connoisseur of foreign and art-house films! Ahmed earned his PhD from Harvard in Spring 2025. 

 

 

      ![Ahmed](/sites/g/files/omnuum4256/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/manoharan/files/ahmed_picture.png?itok=H-qQsAWy) 

 

 

 

   [### Charlie Greboval

 ](/people/charlie-greboval) <cgreboval@seas.harvard.edu>

 Charlie was a visiting student researching self-assembly of particles on micrometer-scale wires. 

 

 

 person 

 

   [### Cheng Zeng

 ](/people/cheng-zeng) <chzeng@g.harvard.edu>Former postdoctoral researcher

 

 

 Cheng was a postdoctoral researcher studying the self-assembly of twisted and braided nanowires. Before joining the group, Cheng earned his PhD in physical chemistry from Indiana University with Prof. Bogdan Dragnea. 

 

 

      ![Cheng, smiling at the camera, against a light background](/sites/g/files/omnuum4256/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/manoharan/files/optimized-img_4615_vert1.jpg?itok=Jez2erSu) 

 

 

 

   [### Maya Faaborg

 ](/people/miles-faaborg)Masters Applied Physics 2019

 

 

 Maya was a Masters student researching self-assembly of nanowires. She is a Midwestern transplant with undergraduate degrees in physics and music composition, and a love of dogs, video games, and playing piano. She earned her Masters in 2019. 

 

 

 person 

 

   [### Samaneh Mashaghi

 ](/people/samaneh-mashaghi) <smashaghi@g.harvard.edu>Former postdoctoral researcher

 

 

 Samaneh was a postdoctoral researcher working on the self-assembly of nanowires. 

 

 

      ![Samaneh](/sites/g/files/omnuum4256/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/manoharan/files/samaneh.jpg?itok=MVtpQ_Ub) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Previous research areas ](/research-projects/previous-research-areas)
- [ Braided nanowires ](/research-areas/braided-nanowires)
- [ Project descriptions ](/page-categories/project-descriptions)