1
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Fontelo R, Reis RL, Novoa-Carballal R, Pashkuleva I. Preparation, Properties, and Bioapplications of Block Copolymer Nanopatterns. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2301810. [PMID: 37737834 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202301810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly has emerged as a feasible method for large-scale fabrication with remarkable precision - features that are not common for most of the nanofabrication techniques. In this review, recent advancements in the molecular design of BCP along with state-of-the-art processing methodologies based on microphase separation alone or its combination with different lithography methods are presented. Furthermore, the bioapplications of the generated nanopatterns in the development of protein arrays, cell-selective surfaces, and antibacterial coatings are explored. Finally, the current challenges in the field are outlined and the potential breakthroughs that can be achieved by adopting BCP approaches already applied in the fabrication of electronic devices are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Fontelo
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Barco, Guimarães, 4805-017, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Rui L Reis
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Barco, Guimarães, 4805-017, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ramon Novoa-Carballal
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Barco, Guimarães, 4805-017, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
- CINBIO, University of Vigo, Campus Universitario de Vigo, Vigo, Pontevedra, 36310, Spain
| | - Iva Pashkuleva
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Barco, Guimarães, 4805-017, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
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2
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Hu M, Li X, Heller WT, Bras W, Rzayev J, Russell TP. Using Grazing-Incidence Small-Angle Neutron Scattering to Study the Orientation of Block Copolymer Morphologies in Thin Films. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mingqiu Hu
- Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 120 Governors Drive, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Xindi Li
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260-3000, United States
| | - William T. Heller
- Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008,
MS-6473, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Wim Bras
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, MS-6131, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Javid Rzayev
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260-3000, United States
| | - Thomas P. Russell
- Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 120 Governors Drive, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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3
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Khan D, Liu X, Qu G, Nath AR, Xie P, Xu ZX. Nexuses Between the Chemical Design and Performance of Small Molecule Dopant-Free Hole Transporting Materials in Perovskite Solar Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2205926. [PMID: 36470653 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202205926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have grabbed much attention of researchers owing to their quick rise in power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, long-term stability remains a hurdle in commercialization, partly due to the inclusion of necessary hygroscopic dopants in hole transporting materials, enhancing the complexity and total cost. Generally, the efforts in designing dopant-free hole transporting materials (HTMs) are devoted toward small molecule and polymeric HTMs, where small molecule based HTMs (SM-HTMs) are dominant due to their reproducibility, facile synthesis, and low cost. Still, the state-of-art dopant-free SM-HTM has not been achieved yet, mainly because of the knowledge gap between device engineering and molecular designs. From a molecular engineering perspective, this article reviews dopant-free SM-HTMs for PSCs, outlining analyses of chemical structures with promising properties toward achieving effective, low-cost, and scalable materials for devices with higher stability. Finally, an outlook of dopant-free SM-HTMs toward commercial application and insight into the development of long-term stability PSCs devices is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danish Khan
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyuan Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Geping Qu
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Amit Ranjan Nath
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Pengfei Xie
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Zong-Xiang Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518055, P. R. China
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4
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Chen S, Zheng H, Liu X, Peng J. Tailoring Co-crystallization over Microphase Separation in Conjugated Block Copolymers via Rational Film Processing for Field-Effect Transistors. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuwen Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Hao Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Xiaofeng Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Juan Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
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5
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Priming self-assembly pathways by stacking block copolymers. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6947. [PMID: 36376380 PMCID: PMC9663688 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34729-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Block copolymers spontaneously self-assemble into well-defined nanoscale morphologies. Yet equilibrium assembly gives rise to a limited set of structures. Non-equilibrium strategies can, in principle, expand diversity by exploiting self-assembly's responsive nature. In this vein, we developed a pathway priming strategy combining control of thin film initial configurations and ordering history. We sequentially coat distinct materials to form prescribed initial states, and use thermal annealing to evolve these manifestly non-equilibrium states through the assembly landscape, traversing normally inaccessible transient structures. We explore the enormous associated hyperspace, spanning processing (annealing temperature and time), material (composition and molecular weight), and layering (thickness and order) dimensions. We demonstrate a library of exotic non-native morphologies, including vertically-oriented perforated lamellae, aqueduct structures (vertical lamellar walls with substrate-pinned perforations), parapets (crenellated lamellae), and networks of crisscrossing lamellae. This enhanced structural control can be used to modify functional properties, including accessing regimes that surpass their equilibrium analogs.
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6
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Mehringer KD, Davis BJ, Kemp LK, Ma G, Hunt SB, Storey RF, Gu X, Thornell TL, Wedgeworth DN, Simon YC, Morgan SE. Synthesis and Morphology of High Molecular Weight Polyisobutylene-Polystyrene Block Copolymers Containing Dynamic Covalent Bonds. Macromol Rapid Commun 2022; 43:e2200487. [PMID: 35822234 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Incorporating dynamic covalent bonds into block copolymers provides useful molecular level information during mechanical testing, but it is currently unknown how the incorporation of these units affects the resultant polymer morphology. High molecular weight polyisobutylene-b-polystyrene (PIB-b-PS) block copolymers containing an anthracene/maleimide dynamic covalent bond were synthesized through a combination of post polymerization modification, reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and Diels-Alder coupling. The bulk morphologies with and without dynamic covalent bond were characterized by AFM and SAXS which revealed a strong dependence on annealing time and casting solvent. Morphology is largely unaffected by the inclusion of the mechanophore. The high molecular weight polymers synthesized allow interrogation of a large range of polymer domain sizes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle D Mehringer
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive # 5050, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
| | - Brad J Davis
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive # 5050, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
| | - Lisa K Kemp
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive # 5050, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
| | - Guorong Ma
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive # 5050, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
| | - Samuel B Hunt
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive # 5050, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
| | - Robson F Storey
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive # 5050, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
| | - Xiaodan Gu
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive # 5050, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
| | - Travis L Thornell
- Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory, Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
| | - Dane N Wedgeworth
- Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory, Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
| | - Yoan C Simon
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive # 5050, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
| | - Sarah E Morgan
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, 118 College Drive # 5050, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
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7
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Yun HS, Kim DH, Kwon HG, Choi HK. Centrifugal Force-Induced Alignment in the Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Su Yun
- Division of Advanced Materials Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Hwan Kim
- Division of Advanced Materials Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong Gu Kwon
- Division of Advanced Materials Engineering, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong Kyoon Choi
- Center for Advanced Materials and Parts of Powder, Kongju National University, Cheonan 31080, Republic of Korea
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8
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Pula P, Leniart A, Majewski PW. Solvent-assisted self-assembly of block copolymer thin films. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:4042-4066. [PMID: 35608282 DOI: 10.1039/d2sm00439a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Solvent-assisted block copolymer self-assembly is a compelling method for processing and advancing practical applications of these materials due to the exceptional level of the control of BCP morphology and significant acceleration of ordering kinetics. Despite substantial experimental and theoretical efforts devoted to understanding of solvent-assisted BCP film ordering, the development of a universal BCP patterning protocol remains elusive; possibly due to a multitude of factors which dictate the self-assembly scenario. The aim of this review is to aggregate both seminal reports and the latest progress in solvent-assisted directed self-assembly and to provide the reader with theoretical background, including the outline of BCP ordering thermodynamics and kinetics phenomena. We also indicate significant BCP research areas and emerging high-tech applications where solvent-assisted processing might play a dominant role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Przemyslaw Pula
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02089, Poland.
| | - Arkadiusz Leniart
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02089, Poland.
| | - Pawel W Majewski
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02089, Poland.
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9
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Sun X, Liu K, Zhao N, Bian F, Yang C, Huang Y. In Situ Grazing-Incidence SAXS Investigation of Thermal-Induced Self-Assembly Process of PS- b-PMMA Films Deposited on Surface-Modified Substrate. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:1625-1632. [PMID: 35143207 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c09443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Directed self-assembly of block copolymers (BCPs) is widely investigated for its potential application in surface patterning. The self-assembly kinetics of BCP based on modified layers is the key to realizing structural control for obtaining highly ordered lamellar grains. In this study, morphological evolution of PS-b-PMMA films during the thermal-induced self-assembly process was investigated via the in situ grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) technique. In the first heating stage, reorientation of lamellar grains occurred as the temperature increased above the glass transition temperature. Then, a fast increase in the lamellar repeat period L0 was observed, which is considered as a phase separation process. Whereas the size of the lamellar grain ξ was observed to have rapidly increased in the stage wherein the temperature was held at 230 °C, the L0 was almost constant. This result indicates that the formation of ordered structure in PS-b-PMMA films was mainly determined by two periods: phase separation of block molecules followed by growth of grains in the nanodomain. In addition, it was interesting that the better-order nanodomains were obtained with thermal annealing at a faster heating rate. These findings suggest that accomplishing ordered structure control in a large area could be realized via the design of a proper heating profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokang Sun
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, Hunan Province China.,Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 239 Zhang Heng Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai 201204, China.,Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Kai Liu
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, Hunan Province China.,Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 239 Zhang Heng Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai 201204, China.,Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Nie Zhao
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan 411105, Hunan Province China
| | - Fenggang Bian
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 239 Zhang Heng Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai 201204, China.,Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chunming Yang
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 239 Zhang Heng Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai 201204, China.,Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuying Huang
- Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 239 Zhang Heng Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai 201204, China.,Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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10
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Leniart A, Pula P, Style RW, Majewski PW. Pathway-Dependent Grain Coarsening of Block Copolymer Patterns under Controlled Solvent Evaporation. ACS Macro Lett 2022; 11:121-126. [PMID: 35574792 PMCID: PMC8772373 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Solvent evaporation annealing (SEA) is a straightforward, single-step casting and annealing method of block copolymers (BCP) processing yielding large-grained morphologies in a very short time. Here, we present a quantitative analysis of BCP grain-coarsening in thin films under controlled evaporation of the solvent. Our study is aimed at understanding time and BCP concentration influence on the rate of the lateral growth of BCP grains. By systematically investigating the coarsening kinetics at various BCP concentrations, we observed a steeply decreasing exponential dependence of the kinetics power-law time exponent on polymer concentration. We used this dependence to formulate a mathematical model of BCP ordering under nonstationary conditions and a 2D, time- and concentration-dependent coarsening rate diagram, which can be used as an aid in engineering the BCP processing pathway in SEA and also in other directed self-assembly methods that utilize BCP-solvent interactions such as solvent vapor annealing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Przemyslaw Pula
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02089, Poland
| | - Robert W. Style
- Department
of Materials, Soft and Living Materials, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 10, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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11
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Wu R, Matta M, Paulsen BD, Rivnay J. Operando Characterization of Organic Mixed Ionic/Electronic Conducting Materials. Chem Rev 2022; 122:4493-4551. [PMID: 35026108 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Operando characterization plays an important role in revealing the structure-property relationships of organic mixed ionic/electronic conductors (OMIECs), enabling the direct observation of dynamic changes during device operation and thus guiding the development of new materials. This review focuses on the application of different operando characterization techniques in the study of OMIECs, highlighting the time-dependent and bias-dependent structure, composition, and morphology information extracted from these techniques. We first illustrate the needs, requirements, and challenges of operando characterization then provide an overview of relevant experimental techniques, including spectroscopy, scattering, microbalance, microprobe, and electron microscopy. We also compare different in silico methods and discuss the interplay of these computational methods with experimental techniques. Finally, we provide an outlook on the future development of operando for OMIEC-based devices and look toward multimodal operando techniques for more comprehensive and accurate description of OMIECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiheng Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Micaela Matta
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, United Kingdom
| | - Bryan D Paulsen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Jonathan Rivnay
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.,Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, United States
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12
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Fontelo R, Soares da Costa D, Reis RL, Novoa-Carballal R, Pashkuleva I. Antithrombotic and hemocompatible properties of nanostructured coatings assembled from block copolymers. J Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 608:1608-1618. [PMID: 34742077 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.10.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
We describe the antithrombotic properties of nanopatterned coatings created by self-assembly of poly(styrene-block-2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) with different molecular weights. By changing the assembly conditions, we obtained nanopatterns that differ by their morphology (size and shape of the nanopattern) and chemistry. The surface exposition of P2VP block allowed quaternization, i.e. introduction of positive surface charge and following electrostatic deposition of heparin. Proteins (albumin and fibrinogen) adsorption, platelet adhesion and activation, cytocompatibility, and reendothelization capacity of the coatings were assessed and discussed in a function of the nanopattern morphology and chemistry. We found that quaternization results in excellent antithrombotic and hemocompatible properties comparable to heparinization by hampering the fibrinogen adhesion and platelet activation. In the case of quaternization, this effect depends on the size of the polymer blocks, while all heparinized patterns had similar performance showing that heparin surface coverage of 40 % is enough to improve substantially the hemocompatibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Fontelo
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Barco, Guimarães, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - D Soares da Costa
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Barco, Guimarães, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - R L Reis
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Barco, Guimarães, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - R Novoa-Carballal
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Barco, Guimarães, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - I Pashkuleva
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Barco, Guimarães, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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13
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Zhong W, Liu F, Wang C. Probing morphology and chemistry in complex soft materials with in situresonant soft x-ray scattering. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2021; 33:313001. [PMID: 34140434 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/ac0194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Small angle scattering methodologies have been evolving at fast pace over the past few decades due to the ever-increasing demands for more details on the complex nanostructures of multiphase and multicomponent soft materials like polymer assemblies and biomaterials. Currently, element-specific and contrast variation techniques such as resonant (elastic) soft/tender x-ray scattering, anomalous small angle x-ray scattering, and contrast-matching small angle neutron scattering, or combinations of above are routinely used to extract the chemical composition and spatial arrangement of constituent elements at multiple length scales and examine electronic ordering phenomena. Here we present some recent advances in selectively characterizing structural architectures of complex soft materials, which often contain multi-components with a wide range of length scales and multiple functionalities, where novel resonant scattering approaches have been demonstrated to decipher a higher level of structural complexity that correlates to functionality. With the advancement of machine learning and artificial intelligence assisted correlative analysis, high-throughput and autonomous experiments would open a new paradigm of material research. Further development of resonant x-ray scattering instrumentation with crossplatform sample environments will enable multimodalin situ/operando characterization of the system dynamics with much improved spatial and temporal resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenkai Zhong
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States of America
| | - Feng Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, In-situ Center for Physical Science, and Center of Hydrogen Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Wang
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States of America
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14
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Mullen E, Morris MA. Green Nanofabrication Opportunities in the Semiconductor Industry: A Life Cycle Perspective. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 11:1085. [PMID: 33922231 PMCID: PMC8146645 DOI: 10.3390/nano11051085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The turn of the 21st century heralded in the semiconductor age alongside the Anthropocene epoch, characterised by the ever-increasing human impact on the environment. The ecological consequences of semiconductor chip manufacturing are the most predominant within the electronics industry. This is due to current reliance upon large amounts of solvents, acids and gases that have numerous toxicological impacts. Management and assessment of hazardous chemicals is complicated by trade secrets and continual rapid change in the electronic manufacturing process. Of the many subprocesses involved in chip manufacturing, lithographic processes are of particular concern. Current developments in bottom-up lithography, such as directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs), are being considered as a next-generation technology for semiconductor chip production. These nanofabrication techniques present a novel opportunity for improving the sustainability of lithography by reducing the number of processing steps, energy and chemical waste products involved. At present, to the extent of our knowledge, there is no published life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluating the environmental impact of new bottom-up lithography versus conventional lithographic techniques. Quantification of this impact is central to verifying whether these new nanofabrication routes can replace conventional deposition techniques in industry as a more environmentally friendly option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Mullen
- CRANN and AMBER Research Centres, School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, D02 W085 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Michael A. Morris
- CRANN and AMBER Research Centres, School of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, D02 W085 Dublin, Ireland
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15
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Selkirk A, Prochukhan N, Lundy R, Cummins C, Gatensby R, Kilbride R, Parnell A, Baez Vasquez J, Morris M, Mokarian-Tabari P. Optimization and Control of Large Block Copolymer Self-Assembly via Precision Solvent Vapor Annealing. Macromolecules 2021; 54:1203-1215. [PMID: 34276069 PMCID: PMC8280752 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The self-assembly of ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) block copolymers (BCPs) remains a complex and time-consuming endeavor owing to the high kinetic penalties associated with long polymer chain entanglement. In this work, we report a unique strategy of overcoming these kinetic barriers through precision solvent annealing of an UHMW polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) BCP system (M w: ∼800 kg/mol) by fast swelling to very high levels of solvent concentration (ϕs). Phase separation on timescales of ∼10 min is demonstrated once a thickness-dependent threshold ϕs value of ∼0.80-0.86 is achieved, resulting in lamellar feature spacings of over 190 nm. The threshold ϕs value was found to be greater for films with higher dry thickness (D 0) values. Tunability of the domain morphology is achieved through controlled variation of both D 0 and ϕs, with the kinetically unstable hexagonal perforated lamellar (HPL) phase observed at ϕs values of ∼0.67 and D 0 values of 59-110 nm. This HPL phase can be controllably induced into an order-order transition to a lamellar morphology upon further increase of ϕs to 0.80 or above. As confirmed by grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering, the lateral ordering of the lamellar domains is shown to improve with increasing ϕs up to a maximum value at which the films transition to a disordered state. Thicker films are shown to possess a higher maximum ϕs value before transitioning to a disordered state. The swelling rate is shown to moderately influence the lateral ordering of the phase-separated structures, while the amount of hold time at a particular value of ϕs does not notably enhance the phase separation process. These large period self-assembled lamellar domains are then employed to facilitate pattern transfer using a liquid-phase infiltration method, followed by plasma etching, generating ordered, high aspect ratio Si nanowall structures with spacings of ∼190 nm and heights of up to ∼500 nm. This work underpins the feasibility of a room-temperature, solvent-based annealing approach for the reliable and scalable fabrication of sub-wavelength nanostructures via BCP lithography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Selkirk
- Advanced
Material and BioEngineering Research Centre (AMBER), Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
- School
of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, The
University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Nadezda Prochukhan
- Advanced
Material and BioEngineering Research Centre (AMBER), Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
- School
of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, The
University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Ross Lundy
- Advanced
Material and BioEngineering Research Centre (AMBER), Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
- School
of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, The
University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Cian Cummins
- CNRS,
Bordeaux INP, LCPO, UMR 5629 and CNRS, Centre de Recherche Paul Pascal,
UMR 5031, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac F-33600, France
| | - Riley Gatensby
- Advanced
Material and BioEngineering Research Centre (AMBER), Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
- School
of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, The
University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Rachel Kilbride
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, U.K.
| | - Andrew Parnell
- Department
of Physics and Astronomy, University of
Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, U.K.
| | - Jhonattan Baez Vasquez
- Advanced
Material and BioEngineering Research Centre (AMBER), Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
- School
of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, The
University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Michael Morris
- Advanced
Material and BioEngineering Research Centre (AMBER), Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
- School
of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, The
University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Parvaneh Mokarian-Tabari
- Advanced
Material and BioEngineering Research Centre (AMBER), Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
- School
of Chemistry, Trinity College Dublin, The
University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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16
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Leniart A, Pula P, Tsai EHR, Majewski PW. Large-Grained Cylindrical Block Copolymer Morphologies by One-Step Room-Temperature Casting. Macromolecules 2020; 53:11178-11189. [PMID: 33380751 PMCID: PMC7759006 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We report a facile method of ordering block copolymer (BCP) morphologies in which the conventional two-step casting and annealing steps are replaced by a single-step process where microphase separation and grain coarsening are seamlessly integrated within the casting protocol. This is achieved by slowing down solvent evaporation during casting by introducing a nonvolatile solvent into the BCP casting solution that effectively prolongs the duration of the grain-growth phase. We demonstrate the utility of this solvent evaporation annealing (SEA) method by producing well-ordered large-molecular-weight BCP thin films in a total processing time shorter than 3 min without resorting to any extra laboratory equipment other than a basic casting device, i.e., spin- or blade-coater. By analyzing the morphologies of the quenched samples, we identify a relatively narrow range of polymer concentration in the wet film, just above the order-disorder concentration, to be critical for obtaining large-grained morphologies. This finding is corroborated by the analysis of the grain-growth kinetics of horizontally oriented cylindrical domains where relatively large growth exponents (1/2) are observed, indicative of a more rapid defect-annihilation mechanism in the concentrated BCP solution than in thermally annealed BCP melts. Furthermore, the analysis of temperature-resolved kinetics data allows us to calculate the Arrhenius activation energy of the grain coarsening in this one-step BCP ordering process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Przemyslaw Pula
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02089, Poland
| | - Esther H. R. Tsai
- Center
for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven
National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
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17
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Tu KH, Huang H, Lee S, Lee W, Sun Z, Alexander-Katz A, Ross CA. Machine Learning Predictions of Block Copolymer Self-Assembly. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e2005713. [PMID: 33206426 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202005713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Directed self-assembly of block copolymers is a key enabler for nanofabrication of devices with sub-10 nm feature sizes, allowing patterning far below the resolution limit of conventional photolithography. Among all the process steps involved in block copolymer self-assembly, solvent annealing plays a dominant role in determining the film morphology and pattern quality, yet the interplay of the multiple parameters during solvent annealing, including the initial thickness, swelling, time, and solvent ratio, makes it difficult to predict and control the resultant self-assembled pattern. Here, machine learning tools are applied to analyze the solvent annealing process and predict the effect of process parameters on morphology and defectivity. Two neural networks are constructed and trained, yielding accurate prediction of the final morphology in agreement with experimental data. A ridge regression model is constructed to identify the critical parameters that determine the quality of line/space patterns. These results illustrate the potential of machine learning to inform nanomanufacturing processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun-Hua Tu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Hejin Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sangho Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Wonmoo Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Zehao Sun
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Alfredo Alexander-Katz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Caroline A Ross
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
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18
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Bilchak CR, Govind S, Contreas G, Rasin B, Maguire SM, Composto RJ, Fakhraai Z. Kinetic Monitoring of Block Copolymer Self-Assembly Using In Situ Spectroscopic Ellipsometry. ACS Macro Lett 2020; 9:1095-1101. [PMID: 35653214 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the kinetic pathways of self-assembly in block copolymers (BCPs) has been a long-standing challenge, mostly due to limitations of in situ monitoring techniques. Here, we demonstrate an approach that uses optical birefringence, determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE), as a measure of domain formation in cylinder- and lamellae-forming BCP films. The rapid experimental acquisition time in SE (ca. 1 sec) enables monitoring of the assembly/disassembly kinetics of BCP films during solvent-vapor annealing (SVA). We demonstrate that upon SVA, BCP films form ordered domains that are stable in the swollen state, but disorder upon rapid drying. Surprisingly, the disassembly during drying strongly depends on the duration of solvent exposure in the swollen state, explaining previous observations of loss of order in SVA processes. SE thus allows for decoupling of BCP self-assembly and disordering that occurs during solvent annealing and solvent evaporation, which is difficult to probe using other, slower techniques.
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19
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Fontelo R, Soares da Costa D, Reis R, Novoa-Carballal R, Pashkuleva I. Bactericidal nanopatterns generated by block copolymer self-assembly. Acta Biomater 2020; 112:174-181. [PMID: 32525051 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
We describe the bactericidal capacity of nanopatterned surfaces created by self-assembly of block copolymers. Distinct nanotopographies were generated by spin-coating with polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) followed by solvent vapor annealing. We demonstrate that the bactericidal efficiency of the developed coatings depends on the morphology and the chemistry of the surface: cylindrical nanotopographies presenting both blocks at the surface have stronger bactericidal effect on Escherichia coli than micellar patterns with only PS exposed at the surface. The identified mechanism of bacterial death is a mechanical stress exerted by the nanostructures on the cell-wall. Moreover, the developed nanopatterns are not cytotoxic, which makes them an excellent option for coating of implantable materials and devices. The proposed approach represents an efficient tool in the fight against bacteria, which acts via compromising the bacterial wall integrity. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Bacterial infections represent an important risk during biomaterial implantation in surgeries due to the increase of antibiotic resistance. Bactericidal surfaces are a promising solution to avoid the use of antibiotics, but most of those systems do not allow mammalian cell survival. Nanopatterned silicon surfaces have demonstrated to be simultaneously bactericidal and allow mammalian cell culture but are made by physical methods (e.g. plasma etching) applicable to few materials and small surfaces. In this article we show that block copolymer self-assembly can be used to develop surfaces that kill bacteria (E. coli) but do not harm mammalian cells. Block copolymer self-assembly has the advantage of being applicable to many different types of substrates and large surface areas.
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20
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Moon JD, Freeman BD, Hawker CJ, Segalman RA. Can Self-Assembly Address the Permeability/Selectivity Trade-Offs in Polymer Membranes? Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c01111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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21
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Fultz BA, Terlier T, Dunoyer de Segonzac B, Verduzco R, Kennemur JG. Nanostructured Films of Oppositely Charged Domains from Self-Assembled Block Copolymers. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Brandon A. Fultz
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4390, United States
| | - Tanguy Terlier
- SIMS Laboratory, Shared Equipment Authority, Rice University, MS 126, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Beatriz Dunoyer de Segonzac
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4390, United States
| | - Rafael Verduzco
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, MS 362, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Justin G. Kennemur
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4390, United States
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22
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Shi LY, Lan J, Lee S, Cheng LC, Yager KG, Ross CA. Vertical Lamellae Formed by Two-Step Annealing of a Rod-Coil Liquid Crystalline Block Copolymer Thin Film. ACS NANO 2020; 14:4289-4297. [PMID: 32182037 PMCID: PMC7309319 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b09702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Silicon-containing block copolymer thin films with high interaction parameter and etch contrast are ideal candidates to generate robust nanotemplates for advanced nanofabrication, but they typically form in-plane oriented microdomains as a result of the dissimilar surface energies of the blocks. Here, we describe a two-step annealing method to produce vertically aligned lamellar structures in thin film of a silicon-containing rod-coil thermotropic liquid crystalline block copolymer. The rod-coil block copolymer with the volume fraction of the Si-containing block of 0.22 presents an asymmetrical lamellar structure in which the rod block forms a hexatic columnar nematic liquid crystalline phase. A solvent vapor annealing step first produces well-ordered in-plane cylinders of the Si-containing block, then a subsequent thermal annealing promotes the phase transition from in-plane cylinders to vertical lamellae. The pathways of the order-order transition were examined by microscopy and in situ using grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering and wide-angle X-ray scattering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Ying Shi
- College
of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer
Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ji Lan
- College
of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer
Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Sangho Lee
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Li-Chen Cheng
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Kevin G. Yager
- Center
for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven
National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Caroline A. Ross
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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23
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Rasin B, Lindsay BJ, Ye X, Meth JS, Murray CB, Riggleman RA, Composto RJ. Nanorod position and orientation in vertical cylinder block copolymer films. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:3005-3014. [PMID: 32125345 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00043d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The self-assembly of gold nanorods (AuNRs) of different sizes with a block copolymer (BCP) is studied. Polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) films containing P2VP functionalized AuNRs are solvent annealed resulting in a BCP morphology of vertical P2VP cylinders in a PS matrix. At the surface of the PS-b-P2VP films long AuNRs are found in the bridging and vertical states. The bridging state is where the long axis of the AuNR is parallel to the film surface, the AuNR is embedded in the film, and each end of the AuNR is at the top of nearest neighbor P2VP cylinders. The vertical state is where the AuNR is localized within a vertical P2VP cylinder, the AuNR long axis is perpendicular to the film surface and the upper tip of the AuNR is at the film surface. Short AuNRs were found in the bridging and vertical states as well as in a state not observed for the long AuNRs, the centered state. The centered state is where an AuNR has its long axis parallel to the film surface, is embedded in the film, and is centered over a vertical P2VP cylinder. Hybrid particle-field theory (HPFT) simulations modeling the experimental system predict that for the long AuNRs only the bridging state should be observed while for the short AuNRs only the bridging and centered states should be observed. Possible explanations for why the vertical state is observed in experiments despite being thermodynamically unfavorable in simulations are discussed. HPFT simulations also show that when a nanorod is in the bridging state the two cylinders it bridges remain intact and extend from the nanorod to the substrate. Further, the minority block of the BCP is shown to wet the bottom of the bridging nanorod. The bridging state is very promising for the future development of self-assembled nanoscale devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris Rasin
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
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24
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Interfacial Energetic Level Mapping and Nano-Ordering of Small Molecule/Fullerene Organic Solar Cells by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Spectroscopy. NANOMATERIALS 2020; 10:nano10030427. [PMID: 32121230 PMCID: PMC7152849 DOI: 10.3390/nano10030427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) at the liquid/solid interface, morphology evolution process and energetic level alignment of very thin solid films (thickness: <700 pm), of the low molecular weight molecule DRCN5T and DRCN5T:[70]PCBM blend are analyzed after applying thermal annealing at different temperatures. These films exhibit a worm-like pattern without thermal annealing (amorphous shape); however, after applying thermal annealing at 120 °C, the small molecule film domains crystallize verified by X-ray diffraction: structural geometry becomes a well-defined organized array. By using STS, the energy band diagrams of the semiconductor bulk heterojunction (blended film) at the donor-acceptor interface are determined; morphology and energy characteristics can be correlated with the organic solar cells (OSC) performance. When combining thermal treatment and solvent vapor annealing processes as described in previous literature by using other techniques, OSC devices based on DRCN5T show a very acceptable power conversion efficiency of 9.0%.
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25
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Polystyrene-block-polyethylene oxide thin films: In vitro cytocompatibility and protein adsorption testing. Biointerphases 2020; 15:011003. [DOI: 10.1116/1.5135062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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26
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Zuo J, Wen G, You K. Dewetting behavior of self-assembled films of polystyrene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) induced by solvent vapor annealing. POLYMER 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2019.121977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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27
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Xu X, Man X, Doi M, Ou-Yang ZC, Andelman D. Defect Removal by Solvent Vapor Annealing in Thin Films of Lamellar Diblock Copolymers. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xinpeng Xu
- Physics Program, Guangdong Technion − Israel Institute of Technology, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China
- Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Xingkun Man
- Center of Soft Matter Physics and Its Applications and School of Physics and Nuclear Energy Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Masao Doi
- Center of Soft Matter Physics and Its Applications and School of Physics and Nuclear Energy Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zhong-can Ou-Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - David Andelman
- Raymond and Beverly Sackler School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
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28
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Hulkkonen H, Salminen T, Niemi T. Automated solvent vapor annealing with nanometer scale control of film swelling for block copolymer thin films. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:7909-7917. [PMID: 31538173 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm01322a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Molecular self-assembly of block copolymers has been pursued as a next generation high-resolution, low-cost lithography technique. Solvent vapor annealing is a promising way of achieving self-assembled patterns from polymers with high interaction parameters, χ, or high molecular weights. Compared to thermal annealing, the assembly in a solvated state can be much faster, but the film swelling process is typically challenging to control and reproduce. We report the design and implementation of an automated solvent annealing system that addresses these issues. In this system the film swelling is controlled via local heating or cooling, which enables exceptionally fast and precise modulation of the swelling. The swelling of the polymer films follows preprogrammed annealing profiles with the help of a feedback loop that compares and tunes the film thickness with respect to the set point. The system therefore enables complex annealing profiles such as rapid cyclic swelling and deswelling. We show that the orientation of the pattern morphology and the amount of lattice defects are influenced by the used annealing profile. We demonstrate that optimized profiles significantly shorten the annealing time (<15 min) of high-χ and high-molecular weight poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Hulkkonen
- Nanophotonics, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Tampere University, 33101 Tampere, Finland.
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29
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Gensch M, Schwartzkopf M, Ohm W, Brett CJ, Pandit P, Vayalil SK, Bießmann L, Kreuzer LP, Drewes J, Polonskyi O, Strunskus T, Faupel F, Stierle A, Müller-Buschbaum P, Roth SV. Correlating Nanostructure, Optical and Electronic Properties of Nanogranular Silver Layers during Polymer-Template-Assisted Sputter Deposition. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:29416-29426. [PMID: 31313904 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b08594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Tailoring the optical and electronic properties of nanostructured polymer-metal composites demonstrates great potential for efficient fabrication of modern organic optical and electronic devices such as flexible sensors, transistors, diodes, or photovoltaics. Self-assembled polymer-metal nanocomposites offer an excellent perspective for creating hierarchical nanostructures on macroscopic scales by simple bottom-up processes. We investigate the growth processes of nanogranular silver (Ag) layers on diblock copolymer thin film templates during sputter deposition. The Ag growth is strongly driven by self-assembly and selective wetting on the lamella structure of polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate). We correlate the emerging nanoscale morphologies with collective optical and electronic properties and quantify the difference in Ag growth on the corresponding homopolymer thin films. Thus, we are able to determine the influence of the respective polymer template and observe substrate effects on the Ag cluster percolation threshold, which affects the insulator-to-metal transition (IMT). Optical spectroscopy in the UV-vis regime reveals localized surface plasmon resonance for the metal-polymer composite. Their maximum absorption is observed around the IMT due to the subsequent long-range electron conduction in percolated nanogranular Ag layers. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, we identify the oxidation of Ag at the acrylate side chains as an essential influencing factor driving the selective wetting behavior in the early growth stages. The results of polymer-templated cluster growth are corroborated by atomic force microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Gensch
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) , Notkestr. 85 , D-22607 Hamburg , Germany
- Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, Physik-Department , Technische Universität München , James-Franck-Str. 1 , D-85748 Garching , Germany
| | | | - Wiebke Ohm
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) , Notkestr. 85 , D-22607 Hamburg , Germany
| | - Calvin J Brett
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) , Notkestr. 85 , D-22607 Hamburg , Germany
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology , Teknikringen 56-58 , SE-100 44 Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Pallavi Pandit
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) , Notkestr. 85 , D-22607 Hamburg , Germany
| | | | - Lorenz Bießmann
- Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, Physik-Department , Technische Universität München , James-Franck-Str. 1 , D-85748 Garching , Germany
| | - Lucas P Kreuzer
- Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, Physik-Department , Technische Universität München , James-Franck-Str. 1 , D-85748 Garching , Germany
| | - Jonas Drewes
- Lehrstuhl für Materialverbunde, Institut für Materialwissenschaft , Christian Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel , Kaiserstr. 2 , D-24143 Kiel , Germany
| | - Oleksandr Polonskyi
- Lehrstuhl für Materialverbunde, Institut für Materialwissenschaft , Christian Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel , Kaiserstr. 2 , D-24143 Kiel , Germany
| | - Thomas Strunskus
- Lehrstuhl für Materialverbunde, Institut für Materialwissenschaft , Christian Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel , Kaiserstr. 2 , D-24143 Kiel , Germany
| | - Franz Faupel
- Lehrstuhl für Materialverbunde, Institut für Materialwissenschaft , Christian Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel , Kaiserstr. 2 , D-24143 Kiel , Germany
| | - Andreas Stierle
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) , Notkestr. 85 , D-22607 Hamburg , Germany
- Physics Department , University of Hamburg , Luruper Chaussee 149 , D-22761 Hamburg , Germany
| | - Peter Müller-Buschbaum
- Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, Physik-Department , Technische Universität München , James-Franck-Str. 1 , D-85748 Garching , Germany
- Heinz Maier-Leibniz Zentrum (MLZ) , Technische Universität München , Lichtenbergstraße 1 , D-85748 Garching , Germany
| | - Stephan V Roth
- Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) , Notkestr. 85 , D-22607 Hamburg , Germany
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology , Teknikringen 56-58 , SE-100 44 Stockholm , Sweden
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30
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Cheng X, Böker A, Tsarkova L. Temperature-Controlled Solvent Vapor Annealing of Thin Block Copolymer Films. Polymers (Basel) 2019; 11:E1312. [PMID: 31390732 PMCID: PMC6722758 DOI: 10.3390/polym11081312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Solvent vapor annealing is as an effective and versatile alternative to thermal annealing to equilibrate and control the assembly of polymer chains in thin films. Here, we present scientific and practical aspects of the solvent vapor annealing method, including the discussion of such factors as non-equilibrium conformational states and chain dynamics in thin films in the presence of solvent. Homopolymer and block copolymer films have been used in model studies to evaluate the robustness and the reproducibility of the solvent vapor processing, as well as to assess polymer-solvent interactions under confinement. Advantages of utilizing a well-controlled solvent vapor environment, including practically interesting regimes of weakly saturated vapor leading to poorly swollen states, are discussed. Special focus is given to dual temperature control over the set-up instrumentation and to the potential of solvo-thermal annealing. The evaluated insights into annealing dynamics derived from the studies on block copolymer films can be applied to improve the processing of thin films of crystalline and conjugated polymers as well as polymer composite in confined geometries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Cheng
- Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP, Geiselbergstr. 69, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
- Lehrstuhl für Polymermaterialien und Polymertechnologie, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Alexander Böker
- Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP, Geiselbergstr. 69, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
- Lehrstuhl für Polymermaterialien und Polymertechnologie, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Larisa Tsarkova
- Deutsches Textilforschungszentrum Nord-West (DNTW), Adlerstr. 1, 47798 Krefeld, Germany.
- Chair of Colloid Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory 1-3, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
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31
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Weller DW, Galuska L, Wang W, Ehlenburg D, Hong K, Gu X. Roll-to-Roll Scalable Production of Ordered Microdomains through Nonvolatile Additive Solvent Annealing of Block Copolymers. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b00772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W. Weller
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
| | - Luke Galuska
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
| | - Weiyu Wang
- Chemical Sciences Divisions and Center for Nanophase Material Sciences (CNMS), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Dakota Ehlenburg
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
| | - Kunlun Hong
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Xiaodan Gu
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406, United States
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32
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Bas AC, Shalabaeva V, Thompson X, Vendier L, Salmon L, Thibault C, Molnár G, Routaboul L, Bousseksou A. Effects of solvent vapor annealing on the crystallinity and spin crossover properties of thin films of [Fe(HB(tz)3)2]. CR CHIM 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crci.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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33
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Yu DM, Smith DM, Kim H, Mapas JKD, Rzayev J, Russell TP. Morphological Evolution of Poly(solketal methacrylate)-block-polystyrene Copolymers in Thin Films. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b00488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Duk Man Yu
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 120 Governors Drive, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Darren M. Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260-3000, United States
| | - Hyeyoung Kim
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 120 Governors Drive, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
| | - Jose Kenneth D. Mapas
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260-3000, United States
| | - Javid Rzayev
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260-3000, United States
| | - Thomas P. Russell
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 120 Governors Drive, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
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34
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Han J, Kim JS, Shin JM, Yun H, Kim Y, Park H, Kim BJ. Rapid solvo-microwave annealing for optimizing ordered nanostructures and crystallization of regioregular polythiophene-based block copolymers. Polym Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1039/c9py00871c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Solvo-microwave annealing is an effective method for producing thin films of polythiophene-based block copolymers with ordered structures and high crystallinity in a very short processing time (∼3 min).
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Affiliation(s)
- Junghun Han
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
- Daejeon 34141
- Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Seong Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
- Daejeon 34141
- Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Man Shin
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
- Daejeon 34141
- Republic of Korea
| | - Hongseok Yun
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
- Daejeon 34141
- Republic of Korea
| | - Youngkwon Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
- Daejeon 34141
- Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeonjung Park
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
- Daejeon 34141
- Republic of Korea
| | - Bumjoon J. Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
- Daejeon 34141
- Republic of Korea
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35
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Dolan JA, Korzeb K, Dehmel R, Gödel KC, Stefik M, Wiesner U, Wilkinson TD, Baumberg JJ, Wilts BD, Steiner U, Gunkel I. Controlling Self-Assembly in Gyroid Terpolymer Films By Solvent Vapor Annealing. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2018; 14:e1802401. [PMID: 30252206 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201802401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The efficacy with which solvent vapor annealing (SVA) can control block copolymer self-assembly has so far been demonstrated primarily for the simplest class of copolymer, the linear diblock copolymer. Adding a third distinct block-thereby creating a triblock terpolymer-not only provides convenient access to complex continuous network morphologies, particularly the gyroid phases, but also opens up a route toward the fabrication of novel nanoscale devices such as optical metamaterials. Such applications, however, require the generation of well-ordered 3D continuous networks, which in turn requires a detailed understanding of the SVA process in terpolymer network morphologies. Here, in situ grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) is employed to study the self-assembly of a gyroid-forming triblock terpolymer during SVA, revealing the effects of several key SVA parameters on the morphology, lateral order, and, in particular, its preservation in the dried film. The robustness of the terpolymer gyroid morphology is a key requirement for successful SVA, allowing the exploration of annealing parameters which may enable the generation of films with long-range order, e.g., for optical metamaterial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Dolan
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, Chemin des Verdiers, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Karolina Korzeb
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, Chemin des Verdiers, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Raphael Dehmel
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, Chemin des Verdiers, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Karl C Gödel
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Morgan Stefik
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Ulrich Wiesner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, 541 Main St, Horizon I BLDG, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA
| | - Timothy D Wilkinson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, 214 Bard Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Jeremy J Baumberg
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK
| | - Bodo D Wilts
- Department of Physics, University of Cambridge, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
| | - Ullrich Steiner
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, Chemin des Verdiers, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Ilja Gunkel
- Adolphe Merkle Institute, Chemin des Verdiers, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
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36
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Kim E, Park S, Han YS, Kim TH. Effect of solvent selectivity on supramolecular assemblies of block copolymer by solvent-vapor annealing. POLYMER 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2018.07.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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37
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Nelson G, Drapes CS, Grant MA, Gnabasik R, Wong J, Baruth A. High-Precision Solvent Vapor Annealing for Block Copolymer Thin Films. MICROMACHINES 2018; 9:E271. [PMID: 30424204 PMCID: PMC6187827 DOI: 10.3390/mi9060271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite its efficacy in producing well-ordered, periodic nanostructures, the intricate role multiple parameters play in solvent vapor annealing has not been fully established. In solvent vapor annealing a thin polymer film is exposed to a vapor of solvent(s) thus forming a swollen and mobile layer to direct the self-assembly process at the nanoscale. Recent developments in both theory and experiments have directly identified critical parameters that govern this process, but controlling them in any systematic way has proven non-trivial. These identified parameters include vapor pressure, solvent concentration in the film, and the solvent evaporation rate. To explore their role, a purpose-built solvent vapor annealing chamber was designed and constructed. The all-metal chamber is designed to be inert to solvent exposure. Computer-controlled, pneumatically actuated valves allow for precision timing in the introduction and withdrawal of solvent vapor from the film. The mass flow controller-regulated inlet, chamber pressure gauges, in situ spectral reflectance-based thickness monitoring, and low flow micrometer relief valve give real-time monitoring and control during the annealing and evaporation phases with unprecedented precision and accuracy. The reliable and repeatable alignment of polylactide cylinders formed from polystyrene-b-polylactide, where cylinders stand perpendicular to the substrate and span the thickness of the film, provides one illustrative example.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunnar Nelson
- Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
| | - Chloe S Drapes
- Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
| | - Meagan A Grant
- Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
| | - Ryan Gnabasik
- Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
| | - Jeffrey Wong
- Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
| | - Andrew Baruth
- Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
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38
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Abstract
Bioinspired smart asymmetric nanochannel membranes (BSANM) have been explored extensively to achieve the delicate ionic transport functions comparable to those of living organisms. The abiotic system exhibits superior stability and robustness, allowing for promising applications in many fields. In view of the abundance of research concerning BSANM in the past decade, herein, we present a systematic overview of the development of the state-of-the-art BSANM system. The discussion is focused on the construction methodologies based on raw materials with diverse dimensions (i.e. 0D, 1D, 2D, and bulk). A generic strategy for the design and construction of the BSANM system is proposed first and put into context with recent developments from homogeneous to heterogeneous nanochannel membranes. Then, the basic properties of the BSANM are introduced including selectivity, gating, and rectification, which are associated with the particular chemical and physical structures. Moreover, we summarized the practical applications of BSANM in energy conversion, biochemical sensing and other areas. In the end, some personal opinions on the future development of the BSANM are briefly illustrated. This review covers most of the related literature reported since 2010 and is intended to build up a broad and deep knowledge base that can provide a solid information source for the scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zhang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
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39
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Lee KS, Lee J, Kwak J, Moon HC, Kim JK. Reduction of Line Edge Roughness of Polystyrene-block-Poly(methyl methacrylate) Copolymer Nanopatterns By Introducing Hydrogen Bonding at the Junction Point of Two Block Chains. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:31245-31251. [PMID: 28218827 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b15885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
To apply well-defined block copolymer nanopatterns to next-generation lithography or high-density storage devices, small line edge roughness (LER) of nanopatterns should be realized. Although polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymer (PS-b-PMMA) has been widely used to fabricate nanopatterns because of easy perpendicular orientation of the block copolymer nanodomains and effective removal of PMMA block by dry etching, the fabricated nanopatterns show poorer line edge roughness (LER) due to relatively small Flory-Huggins interaction parameter (χ) between PS and PMMA chains. Here, we synthesized PS-b-PMMA with urea (U) and N-(4-aminomethyl-benzyl)-4-hydroxymethyl-benzamide (BA) moieties at junction of PS and PMMA chains (PS-U-BA-PMMA) to improve the LER. The U-BA moieties serves as favorable interaction (hydrogen bonding) sites. The LER of PS line patterns obtained from PS-U-BA-PMMA was reduced ∼25% compared with that obtained from neat PS-b-PMMA without BA and U moieties. This is attributed to narrower interfacial width induced by hydrogen bonding between two blocks, which is confirmed by small-angle X-ray scattering. This result implies that the introduction of hydrogen bonding into block copolymer interfaces offers an opportunity to fabricate well-defined nanopatterns with improved LER by block copolymer self-assembly, which could be a promising alternative to next-generation extreme ultraviolet lithography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyu Seong Lee
- National Creative Research Initiative Center for Smart Block Copolymers, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology , Pohang, Kyungbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeyong Lee
- National Creative Research Initiative Center for Smart Block Copolymers, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology , Pohang, Kyungbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongheon Kwak
- National Creative Research Initiative Center for Smart Block Copolymers, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology , Pohang, Kyungbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong Chul Moon
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Seoul , Seoul 02504, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Kon Kim
- National Creative Research Initiative Center for Smart Block Copolymers, Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology , Pohang, Kyungbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
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40
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Dehmel R, Dolan JA, Gu Y, Wiesner U, Wilkinson TD, Baumberg JJ, Steiner U, Wilts BD, Gunkel I. Optical Imaging of Large Gyroid Grains in Block Copolymer Templates by Confined Crystallization. Macromolecules 2017; 50:6255-6262. [PMID: 28919648 PMCID: PMC5594442 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly is a promising route to manufacture functional nanomaterials for applications from nanolithography to optical metamaterials. Self-assembled cubic morphologies cannot, however, be conveniently optically characterized in the lab due to their structural isotropy. Here, the aligned crystallization behavior of a semicrystalline-amorphous polyisoprene-b-polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (ISO) triblock terpolymer was utilized to visualize the grain structure of the cubic microphase-separated morphology. Upon quenching from a solvent swollen state, ISO first self-assembles into an alternating gyroid morphology, in the confinement of which the PEO crystallizes preferentially along the least tortuous pathways of the single gyroid morphology with grain sizes of hundreds of micrometers. Strikingly, the resulting anisotropic alignment of PEO crystallites gives rise to a unique optical birefringence of the alternating gyroid domains, which allows imaging of the self-assembled grain structure by optical microscopy alone. This study provides insight into polymer crystallization within a tortuous three-dimensional network and establishes a useful method for the optical visualization of cubic BCP morphologies that serve as functional nanomaterial templates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael Dehmel
- Department
of Physics, University of Cambridge, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K.
| | - James A. Dolan
- Department
of Physics, University of Cambridge, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K.
- Department
of Engineering, University of Cambridge, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA, U.K.
| | - Yibei Gu
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell
University, 214 Bard Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853-1501, United States
| | - Ulrich Wiesner
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell
University, 214 Bard Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853-1501, United States
| | - Timothy D. Wilkinson
- Department
of Engineering, University of Cambridge, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA, U.K.
| | - Jeremy J. Baumberg
- Department
of Physics, University of Cambridge, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, U.K.
| | - Ullrich Steiner
- Adolphe Merkle
Institute, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Bodo D. Wilts
- Adolphe Merkle
Institute, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Ilja Gunkel
- Adolphe Merkle
Institute, Chemin des Verdiers 4, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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41
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Characterization of the surface morphology and grain growth near the surface of a block copolymer thin film with cylindrical microdomains oriented perpendicular to the surface. Polym J 2017. [DOI: 10.1038/pj.2017.36] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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42
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Rokhlenko Y, Majewski PW, Larson SR, Gopalan P, Yager KG, Osuji CO. Implications of Grain Size Variation in Magnetic Field Alignment of Block Copolymer Blends. ACS Macro Lett 2017; 6:404-409. [PMID: 35610856 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.7b00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Recent experiments have highlighted the intrinsic magnetic anisotropy in coil-coil diblock copolymers, specifically in poly(styrene-block-4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP), that enables magnetic field alignment at field strengths of a few tesla. We consider here the alignment response of two low molecular weight (MW) lamallae-forming PS-b-P4VP systems. Cooling across the disorder-order transition temperature (Todt) results in strong alignment for the higher MW sample (5.5K), whereas little alignment is discernible for the lower MW system (3.6K). This disparity under otherwise identical conditions of field strength and cooling rate suggests that different average grain sizes are produced during slow cooling of these materials, with larger grains formed in the higher MW material. Blending the block copolymers results in homogeneous samples which display Todt, d-spacings, and grain sizes that are intermediate between the two neat diblocks. Similarly, the alignment quality displays a smooth variation with the concentration of the higher MW diblock in the blends, and the size of grains likewise interpolates between limits set by the neat diblocks, with a factor of 3.5× difference in the grain size observed in high vs low MW neat diblocks. These results highlight the importance of grain growth kinetics in dictating the field response in block copolymers and suggests an unconventional route for the manipulation of such kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yekaterina Rokhlenko
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Paweł W. Majewski
- Center
for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, New York 11973, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Warsaw 02093, Poland
| | - Steven R. Larson
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Padma Gopalan
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Kevin G. Yager
- Center
for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Chinedum O. Osuji
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
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43
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Zhou Z, Liu G. Controlling the Pore Size of Mesoporous Carbon Thin Films through Thermal and Solvent Annealing. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2017; 13:1603107. [PMID: 28151575 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201603107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Herein an approach to controlling the pore size of mesoporous carbon thin films from metal-free polyacrylonitrile-containing block copolymers is described. A high-molecular-weight poly(acrylonitrile-block-methyl methacrylate) (PAN-b-PMMA) is synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The authors systematically investigate the self-assembly behavior of PAN-b-PMMA thin films during thermal and solvent annealing, as well as the pore size of mesoporous carbon thin films after pyrolysis. The as-spin-coated PAN-b-PMMA is microphase-separated into uniformly spaced globular nanostructures, and these globular nanostructures evolve into various morphologies after thermal or solvent annealing. Surprisingly, through thermal annealing and subsequent pyrolysis of PAN-b-PMMA into mesoporous carbon thin films, the pore size and center-to-center spacing increase significantly with thermal annealing temperature, different from most block copolymers. In addition, the choice of solvent in solvent annealing strongly influences the block copolymer nanostructure and the pore size of mesoporous carbon thin films. The discoveries herein provide a simple strategy to control the pore size of mesoporous carbon thin films by tuning thermal or solvent annealing conditions, instead of synthesizing a series of block copolymers of various molecular weights and compositions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengping Zhou
- Department of Chemistry and Macromolecules Innovation Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Guoliang Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Macromolecules Innovation Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
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44
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Posselt D, Zhang J, Smilgies DM, Berezkin AV, Potemkin II, Papadakis CM. Restructuring in block copolymer thin films: In situ GISAXS investigations during solvent vapor annealing. Prog Polym Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2016.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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45
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Sapkota DR, Tran-Ba KH, Elwell-Cuddy T, Higgins DA, Ito T. Single-Molecule Tracking Study of the Permeability and Transverse Width of Individual Cylindrical Microdomains in Solvent-Swollen Polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) Films. J Phys Chem B 2016; 120:12177-12183. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.6b08368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dol Raj Sapkota
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, 213 CBC Building, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-0401, United States
| | - Khanh-Hoa Tran-Ba
- Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, 213 CBC Building, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-0401, United States
| | - Trevor Elwell-Cuddy
- 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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46
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Block copolymer thin films: Characterizing nanostructure evolution with in situ X-ray and neutron scattering. POLYMER 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2016.06.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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47
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In situ GISAXS study of a Si-containing block copolymer under solvent vapor annealing: Effects of molecular weight and solvent vapor composition. POLYMER 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2016.08.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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48
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Tran-Cong-Miyata Q, Nakanishi H. Phase separation of polymer mixtures driven by photochemical reactions: current status and perspectives. POLYM INT 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/pi.5243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Qui Tran-Cong-Miyata
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology; Matsugasaki Sakyo-ku 606-8585 Japan
| | - Hideyuki Nakanishi
- Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Kyoto Institute of Technology; Matsugasaki Sakyo-ku 606-8585 Japan
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