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Fang S, Tang H, Wang M, Xu Z, Li N. The antifouling and separation performance of an ultrafiltration membrane derived from a novel amphiphilic copolymer containing a crown ether. J Memb Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2023.121620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
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2
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Coceancigh H, Xue L, Nagasaka S, Higgins DA, Ito T. Solvent-Induced Swelling Behaviors of Microphase-Separated Polystyrene- block-Poly(ethylene oxide) Thin Films Investigated Using In Situ Spectroscopic Ellipsometry and Single-Molecule Fluorescence Microscopy. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:8338-8349. [PMID: 36219821 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Block copolymers have attracted considerable interest in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology because these polymers afford well-defined nanostructures via self-assembly. An in-depth understanding of solvent effects on the physicochemical properties of these microdomains is crucial for their preparation and utilization. Herein, we employed in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry and single-molecule fluorescence techniques to gain detailed insights into microdomain properties in polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) films exposed to ethanol- and water-saturated N2. We observed a quick increase and a subsequent gradual decrease in the ellipsometric thickness of PS-b-PEO films upon exposure to ethanol-saturated N2. This observation was unexpected because ethanol-saturated N2 induced negligible thickness change for PS and PEO homopolymer films. The similarity in maximum thickness gain observed under ethanol- and water-saturated N2 implied the swelling of PEO microdomains. Ethanol vapor permeation through the PEO microdomains was supported by the redshift of the ensemble and single-molecule fluorescence emission of Nile red in PS-b-PEO films. Single-molecule tracking data showed the initial enhancement and subsequent reduction of the diffusion of hydrophilic sulforhodamine B molecules in PS-b-PEO films upon exposure to ethanol-saturated N2, consistent with the spectroscopic ellipsometry results. The higher ethanol susceptibility of the PEO microdomains was attributable to their amorphous nature, as shown by FTIR data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herman Coceancigh
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas66506-0401, United States
| | - Lianjie Xue
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas66506-0401, United States
| | - Shinobu Nagasaka
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas66506-0401, United States
| | - Daniel A Higgins
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas66506-0401, United States
| | - Takashi Ito
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas66506-0401, United States
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3
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Grim BJ, Green MD. Thermodynamics and Structure‐Property Relationships of Charged Block Polymers. MACROMOL CHEM PHYS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/macp.202200036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bradley J. Grim
- Chemical Engineering School for Engineering of Matter Transport and Energy Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287
| | - Matthew D. Green
- Chemical Engineering School for Engineering of Matter Transport and Energy Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287
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4
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Residual changes and thickness effects in glass-forming polymer thin films after solvent vapor annealing. POLYMER 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2021.124417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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5
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Ito T, Nathani A. Electrochemical sensing at nanoporous film‐coated electrodes. ELECTROCHEMICAL SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/elsa.202100126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Ito
- Department of Chemistry Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas USA
| | - Akash Nathani
- Department of Chemistry Kansas State University Manhattan Kansas USA
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Min J, Jung HY, Jeong S, Lee B, Son CY, Park MJ. Enhancing ion transport in charged block copolymers by stabilizing low symmetry morphology: Electrostatic control of interfaces. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2107987118. [PMID: 34344828 PMCID: PMC8364204 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107987118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, the interest in charged polymers has been rapidly growing due to their uses in energy storage and transfer devices. Yet, polymer electrolyte-based devices are not on the immediate horizon because of the low ionic conductivity. In the present study, we developed a methodology to enhance the ionic conductivity of charged block copolymers comprising ionic liquids through the electrostatic control of the interfacial layers. Unprecedented reentrant phase transitions between lamellar and A15 structures were seen, which cannot be explained by well-established thermodynamic factors. X-ray scattering experiments and molecular dynamics simulations revealed the formation of fascinating, thin ionic shell layers composed of ionic complexes. The ionic liquid cations of these complexes predominantly presented near the micellar interfaces if they had strong binding affinity with the charged polymer chains. Therefore, the interfacial properties and concentration fluctuations of the A15 structures were crucially dependent on the type of tethered acid groups in the polymers. Overall, the stabilization energies of the A15 structures were greater when enriched, attractive electrostatic interactions were present at the micellar interfaces. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that block copolymer interfaces act as "dead zone" to significantly deteriorate ion transport, this study establishes a prospective avenue for advanced polymer electrolyte having tailor-made interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaemin Min
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Advanced Materials Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - Ha Young Jung
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Advanced Materials Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - Seungwon Jeong
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Advanced Materials Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - Byeongdu Lee
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439
| | - Chang Yun Son
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Advanced Materials Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea;
| | - Moon Jeong Park
- Department of Chemistry, Division of Advanced Materials Science, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea;
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Ito T, Higgins DA. Fluorescence Microscopic Investigations of Molecular Dynamics in Self-Assembled Nanostructures. CHEM REC 2021; 21:1417-1429. [PMID: 33533548 DOI: 10.1002/tcr.202000173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Many analytical methods employ self-assembled nanostructured materials as chemical recognition media. Molecular permeation through these materials exhibits unique selectivity owing to nanoconfinement-induced enhancement of permeant-nanostructure interactions. This Personal Account introduces our efforts to investigate the detailed dynamics of single or a small number of molecules in nanostructured materials. We developed new experimental and analysis approaches built upon laser-based fluorescence microscopy to measure the detailed translational and orientational dynamics of molecules diffusing in horizontally-oriented, cylindrical nanostructures, including surfactant micelles, silica mesopores, block copolymer microdomains, and bolaamphiphile-based organic nanotubes. Our studies clarified nanoscale details on the structural/chemical heterogeneity of the nanostructures, and their impacts on molecular mass transport dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Ito
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, 213 CBC Building, Manhattan, KS 66506-0401, USA
| | - Daniel A Higgins
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, 213 CBC Building, Manhattan, KS 66506-0401, USA
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Ito T, Coceancigh H, Yi Y, Sharma JN, Parks FC, Flood AH. Nanoporous Thin Films Formed from Photocleavable Diblock Copolymers on Gold Substrates Modified with Thiolate Self-Assembled Monolayers. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:9259-9268. [PMID: 32683869 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c01572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Nanoporous thin films formed on electrodes are considered functional elements of electrochemical sensing systems, thus motivating methods for their development. We report a preparative strategy detailing the effects of surface modification of gold substrates with thiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on the properties of nanoporous thin films derived from polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) having a photocleavable o-nitrobenzyl ester junction (PS-hν-PEO). Two PS-hν-PEO having similar PEO volume fractions (≈0.2) but different molecular weights (10 and 23 kg/mol) were used to prepare films (30-100 nm thick) spin-cast on gold substrates unmodified and modified with cysteamine, thioctic acid, and 6-hydroxy-1-hexanethiol SAMs. Solvent vapor annealing followed by PEO removal led to the formation of nanopores with average diameters of 12 and 19 nm from the smaller and larger PS-hν-PEO, respectively. Cyclic voltammograms of 1,1'-ferrocenedimethanol showed that nanoporous films on cysteamine SAMs afforded nanopores reaching the underlying substrates at higher density than those on the other substrates. This result was attributed to balanced affinity of the cysteamine SAM surface with PS and PEO, which enhanced the vertical orientation of PEO microdomains. The generation of carboxyl groups associated with the photocleavage reaction was revealed by pH-dependent changes in the voltammogram of Fe(CN)63- that reflected electrostatic effects regulated by the protonation state of the carboxyl groups. The SAMs underneath the nanoporous films could be replaced by treatment with a thiol solution, as verified by voltammograms of l-ascorbic acid. These results suggest that thiolate SAM modification provides a simple means to control the interfacial orientation of PEO microdomains in thin PS-hν-PEO films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Ito
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-0401, United States
| | - Herman Coceancigh
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-0401, United States
| | - Yi Yi
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Jay N Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-0401, United States
| | - Fred C Parks
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Amar H Flood
- Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
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Improving the perm-selectivity and anti-fouling property of UF membrane through the micro-phase separation of PSf-b-PEG block copolymers. J Memb Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.117851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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10
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Characterisation of the PS-PMMA Interfaces in Microphase Separated Block Copolymer Thin Films by Analytical (S)TEM. NANOMATERIALS 2020; 10:nano10010141. [PMID: 31941037 PMCID: PMC7022429 DOI: 10.3390/nano10010141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly is a promising tool for next generation lithography as microphase separated polymer domains in thin films can act as templates for surface nanopatterning with sub-20 nm features. The replicated patterns can, however, only be as precise as their templates. Thus, the investigation of the morphology of polymer domains is of great importance. Commonly used analytical techniques (neutron scattering, scanning force microscopy) either lack spatial information or nanoscale resolution. Using advanced analytical (scanning) transmission electron microscopy ((S)TEM), we provide real space information on polymer domain morphology and interfaces between polystyrene (PS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) in cylinder- and lamellae-forming BCPs at highest resolution. This allows us to correlate the internal structure of polymer domains with line edge roughnesses, interface widths and domain sizes. STEM is employed for high-resolution imaging, electron energy loss spectroscopy and energy filtered TEM (EFTEM) spectroscopic imaging for material identification and EFTEM thickness mapping for visualisation of material densities at defects. The volume fraction of non-phase separated polymer species can be analysed by EFTEM. These methods give new insights into the morphology of polymer domains the exact knowledge of which will allow to improve pattern quality for nanolithography.
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Liu SSY, Ludwigs S. Electrochemical Manipulation of Aligned Block Copolymer Templates. Macromol Rapid Commun 2019; 41:e1900485. [PMID: 31774602 DOI: 10.1002/marc.201900485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Block copolymers have a wide range of functions in advanced electrochemistry because of their ability to self-assemble into ordered nanometer-sized structures, resulting in their extensive usage as nanoporous templates that can be electrochemically manipulated. These highly ordered nanoporous templates are used as working electrodes for electrodeposition and electropolymerization to build nanoelectrode arrays and can serve as models to study the diffusion pathway of redox-active units with regard to chemical modification of pores. The block copolymer system allows different morphologies to be utilized, but the most exploited structures are standing cylinders of the minority block that are etched to expose highly aligned porous nanoelectrode array templates. This review starts with introducing alumina and track-etched membranes as pioneer porous templates transitioning to the production of block copolymer films as succeeding templates, with a particular focus on both poly(styrene)-block-poly(methylmethacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) and poly(styrene)-block-poly(lactide) (PS-b-PLA). The aim is to give fundamental insights of electrochemistry where functionality extends beyond to applications in the nanoscience field of biosensors and plastic electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri S Y Liu
- IPOC-Functional Polymers, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Sabine Ludwigs
- IPOC-Functional Polymers, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
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12
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Harandizadeh Z, Ito T. Block Copolymer‐Derived Recessed Nanodisk‐Array Electrodes as Platforms for Folding‐Based Electrochemical DNA Sensors. ChemElectroChem 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/celc.201901562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zeinab Harandizadeh
- Department of Chemistry Kansas State University 213 CBC Building, Manhattan Kansas 66506-0401 USA
| | - Takashi Ito
- Department of Chemistry Kansas State University 213 CBC Building, Manhattan Kansas 66506-0401 USA
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13
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Coceancigh H, Higgins DA, Ito T. Optical Microscopic Techniques for Synthetic Polymer Characterization. Anal Chem 2018; 91:405-424. [PMID: 30350610 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b04694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Herman Coceancigh
- Department of Chemistry , Kansas State University , 213 CBC Building , Manhattan , Kansas 66506-0401 , United States
| | - Daniel A Higgins
- Department of Chemistry , Kansas State University , 213 CBC Building , Manhattan , Kansas 66506-0401 , United States
| | - Takashi Ito
- Department of Chemistry , Kansas State University , 213 CBC Building , Manhattan , Kansas 66506-0401 , United States
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