---
title: "Building Circuits Without Touching Them: Watch Carbon Nanotubes Self-Assemble"
description: "Through Teslaphoresis, nanotubes can be directed to assemble themselves into wires within this force field, making it possible to build circuits without physical contact."
date: "2016-04-22"
modified: "2016-04-22"
authors:
  - name: "Cecille De Jesus"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/cecille"
url: "https://futurism.com/teslaphoresis-nanotubes-can-move-wirelessly-power-led-circuits"
categories:
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "self-assembly"
  - "tesla coil"
  - "teslaphoresis"
  - "Wireless power"
---

# Building Circuits Without Touching Them: Watch Carbon Nanotubes Self-Assemble

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/nanotube_A.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="https://www.youtube.com" target="\_blank"\>Rice University\</a\>\</em\>*

Scientists from Rice University found a way to conduct electricity without making physical contact between the circuit and the energy source. Using a Tesla coil’s antenna to project a gradient high-voltage forcefield into air, they were able to polarize carbon nanotubes within this Teslaphoretic (TEP) field, which then spring out like webs to assemble themselves into wires.

https://youtu.be/w1d0Lg6wuvc

Although directed motion and self-assembly has been achieved [using conventional electric fields](<http://imechanica.org/files/L15%20electric%20field-induced%20self-assembly.pdf>) before, it was restricted to [small-scale structures](<https://futurism.com/researchers-create-first-self-assembled-superconductor>).

The longest wire assembled through teslaphoresis was 15 centimeters so far. But with the high fidelity of the long, self-assembled, parallel nanotube lines to the TEP field, the study, [published in *ACS Nano*](<http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsnano.6b02313>), asserts that Teslaphoresis can effectively direct self-assembly on a macroscale as well.

Through Teslaphoresis, the team was able to wirelessly power nanotube-based LED circuits at remote distances, more than 30cm. The scientists hope to explore the technology’s potential in biomedical engineering and in many other industries in the near future.

### Author social links  
[Facebook](<http://facebook.com/thescientress>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://ph.linkedin.com/in/cecillebautistadejesus>)