1
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Sun J, Cui C, Ma M, Gao L, Ross CA, Shi LY. Self-Assembly of Hierarchical Silicon-Containing Block Copolymers with Cross-Linkable 3 nm Smectic Motifs for Nanopatterning and Osmotic Energy Conversion Membranes. ACS NANO 2024. [PMID: 39383046 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c09266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/11/2024]
Abstract
Highly-dense small-feature-size nanopatterns and nanoporous membranes are important in advanced microelectronics, nanofiltration, and biomimic device manufacturing. Here, we report the synthesis and self-assembly of a series of high-interaction-parameter (high-χ) silicon-containing hierarchical block copolymers (BCPs) with cross-linkable subordering chalcone motifs, which possess both an intrinsic native etching contrast for nanofabrication and cross-linkability under ultraviolet light for generating free-standing membranes. BCPs with a volume fraction of chalcone block of 55-74% form ordered primary nanostructures with period 15-22 nm including lamellae, double gyroid, hexagonally packed cylinders, and body-centered cubic spheres of the minority Si-containing block. The majority PChMA block self-assembles into a highly ordered 3 nm smectic sublattice, and cross-linking after self-assembly enables the formation of free-standing isoporous membranes. Both silicon oxide nanopatterns and free-standing nanoporous osmotic energy conversion membranes are generated by etching films of these BCPs. This work demonstrates that the combination of hierarchical ordering and cross-linkable motifs in a high-interaction parameter BCP enables applications in both nanofabrication and free-standing functional porous membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingrui Sun
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Chang Cui
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Mingchao Ma
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Longcheng Gao
- Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Caroline A Ross
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ling-Ying Shi
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
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2
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Wang H, Qian H, Li W, Wang K, Li H, Zheng X, Gu P, Chen S, Yi M, Xu J, Zhu J. Large-Area Arrays of Polymer-Tethered Gold Nanorods with Controllable Orientation and Their Application in Nano-Floating-Gate Memory Devices. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2208288. [PMID: 36876441 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202208288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In this work, it is reported that large-area (centimeter-scale) arrays of non-close-packed polystyrene-tethered gold nanorod (AuNR@PS) can be prepared through a liquid-liquid interfacial assembly method. Most importantly, the orientation of AuNRs in the arrays can be controlled by changing the intensity and direction of electric field applied in the solvent annealing process. The interparticle distance of AuNR can be tuned by varying the length of polymer ligands. Moreover, the AuNR@PS with short PS ligand are favorited to form orientated arrays with the assistance of electric field, while long PS ligands make the orientation of AuNRs difficult. The orientated AuNR@PS arrays are employed as the nano-floating gate of field-effect transistor memory device. Tunable charge trapping and retention characteristics in the device can be realized by electrical pulse with visible light illumination. The memory device with orientated AuNR@PS array required less illumination time (1 s) at the same onset voltage in programming operation, compared to the control device with disordered AuNR@PS array (illumination time: 3 s). Moreover, the orientated AuNR@PS array-based memory device can maintain the stored data for more than 9000 s, and exhibits stable endurance characteristic without significant degradation in 50 programming/reading/erasing/reading cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huayang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service Failure, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Haowen Qian
- Key Lab for Organic Electronics and Information Displays &Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, P. R. China
| | - Wen Li
- Key Lab for Organic Electronics and Information Displays &Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, P. R. China
| | - Ke Wang
- Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service Failure, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Hao Li
- Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service Failure, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Xihuang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service Failure, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Pan Gu
- Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service Failure, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Senbin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service Failure, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Mingdong Yi
- Key Lab for Organic Electronics and Information Displays &Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, P. R. China
| | - Jiangping Xu
- Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service Failure, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
| | - Jintao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Materials Chemistry and Service Failure, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, P. R. China
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3
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Sharma K, Agrawal A, Masud A, Satija SK, Ankner JF, Douglas JF, Karim A. Hiking down the Free Energy Landscape Using Sequential Solvent and Thermal Processing for Versatile Ordering of Block Copolymer Films. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:21562-21574. [PMID: 37083352 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c21924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The kinetics and morphology of the ordering of block copolymer (BCP) films are highly dependent on the processing pathway, as the enthalpic and entropic forces driving the ordering processes can be quite different depending on process history. We may gain some understanding and control of this variability of BCP morphology with processing history through a consideration of the free energy landscape of the BCP material and a consideration of how the processing procedure moves the system through this energy landscape in a way that avoids having the system becoming trapped into well-defined metastable minima having a higher free energy than the target low free energy ordered structure. It is well known that standard thermal annealing (TA) of BCPs leads to structures corresponding to a well-defined stable free energy minimum; however, the BCP must be annealed for a very long time before the target low free energy structures can be achieved. Herein, we show that the same target low-energy structure can be achieved relatively quickly by subjecting as-cast films to an initial solvent annealing [direct immersion annealing (DIA) or solvent vapor annealing (SVA)] procedure, followed by a short period of TA. This process relies on lowering the activation energy barrier by reducing the glass-transition temperature through DIA (or SVA), followed by a multi-interface chain rearrangement through sequential TA. This energy landscape approach to ordering should be applicable to the process design for ordering many other complex materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kshitij Sharma
- William A. Brookshire, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Aman Agrawal
- William A. Brookshire, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Ali Masud
- William A. Brookshire, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Sushil K Satija
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - John F Ankner
- Second Target Station Project, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
| | - Jack F Douglas
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Alamgir Karim
- William A. Brookshire, Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
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4
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Weng L, Ma M, Yin C, Fei ZX, Yang KK, Ross CA, Shi LY. Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Silicon-Containing Azobenzene Liquid Crystalline Block Copolymers. Macromolecules 2023. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Weng
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Mingchao Ma
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Chenxiao Yin
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Zhi-Xiong Fei
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Ke-Ke Yang
- The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Friendly and Fire-Safety Polymeric Materials (MoE), National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China
| | - Caroline A. Ross
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ling-Ying Shi
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
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5
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Tunable Thin Film Periodicities by Controlling the Orientation of Cylindrical Domains in Side Chain Liquid Crystalline Block Copolymers. INT J POLYM SCI 2022. [DOI: 10.1155/2022/8286518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A facile approach to block copolymer (BCP) domain orientation control in thin films has been demonstrated by employing a BCP with liquid crystalline semifluorinated side chains by tuning the composition of the copolymers of the bottom surface layer (BSL). 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorodecanethiol was attached to a precursor polymer, polystyrene-block-poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PGMA), to obtain a novel BCP with a C8F17-containing liquid crystal (LC) side chain (PS-b-P8FMA). Anisotropic hexagonally packed cylinder domains in a bulk state were first characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The observed morphology transition of BCPs with different fluorinated side chain lengths of –CF3, –C4F9, and –C6F13 suggested the decisive effects of LC side chain ordering on the anisotropic nanostructures. In the thin film study, poly(methyl methacrylate-random-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate-random-methacrylic acid) (PMMA-ran-PTFEMA-ran-PMAA) solution was used as BSLs for tuning the desired periodicities. The surface free energy (SFE) of BSL was simply tailored by changing the composition of comonomers. In atomic force microscopy (AFM) characterization, long-range ordered perpendicularly oriented BCP domains in a hexagonally packed array or parallel oriented BCP domains as striation patterns were easily fabricated on non-preferential or preferential BSL, respectively. The study presents a novel approach to tunable thin film periodicities without changing or modifying BCPs, which is desired in next-generation BCP lithography.
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6
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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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7
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Shi LY, Subramanian A, Weng L, Lee S, Kisslinger K, Nam CY, Ross CA. Selective sequential infiltration synthesis of ZnO in the liquid crystalline phase of silicon-containing rod-coil block copolymers. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:1807-1813. [PMID: 35037005 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr06065a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The combination of block copolymer (BCP) thin film self-assembly and selective infiltration synthesis of inorganic materials into one BCP block provides access to various organic-inorganic hybrids. Here, we apply sequential infiltration synthesis, a vapor-phase hybridization technique, to selectively introduce ZnO into the organic microdomains of silicon-containing rod-coil diblock copolymers and a triblock terpolymer, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-b-poly{2,5-bis[(4-methoxyphenyl)-oxycarbonyl]styrene} (PDMS-b-PMPCS) and PDMS-b-polystyrene-b-PMPCS (PDMS-b-PS-b-PMPCS), in which the PMPCS rod block is a liquid crystalline polymer. The in-plane cylindrical PDMS-b-PMPCS and core-shell cylindrical and hexagonally perforated lamellar PDMS-b-PS-b-PMPCS films were infiltrated with ZnO with high selectivity to the PMPCS. The etching contrast between PDMS, PS and the ZnO-infused PMPCS enables the fabrication of ZnO/SiOx binary composites by plasma etching and reveals the core-shell morphology of the triblock terpolymer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Ying Shi
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
| | - Ashwanth Subramanian
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University, New York 11794, USA
| | - Lin Weng
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
| | - Sangho Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
| | - Kim Kisslinger
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York 11973, USA.
| | - Chang-Yong Nam
- Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Stony Brook University, New York 11794, USA
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York 11973, USA.
| | - Caroline A Ross
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
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8
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Lee C, Osuji CO. 100th Anniversary of Macromolecular Science Viewpoint: Opportunities for Liquid Crystal Polymers in Nanopatterning and Beyond. ACS Macro Lett 2021; 10:945-957. [PMID: 35549196 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Liquid-crystal polymers (LCPs) integrate at a molecular level the characteristics of two important material classes, i.e., liquid crystals (LCs) and polymers. As a result, they exhibit a wide variety of intriguing physical phenomena and have useful properties in various settings. In the nearly 50 years since the discovery of the first melt-processable LCPs, there has been a remarkable expansion in the field encompassing the development of new chain architectures, the incorporation of new classes of mesogens, and the exploration of new properties and applications. As engineering materials, LCPs are historically best known in the context of high strength fibers. In a more contemporary study, the pairing of LC mesophase assembly with block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly in LC BCPs has resulted in a fascinating interplay of ordering phenomena and rich phase behavior, while lightly cross-linked networks, LC elastomers, are extensively investigated as shape memory materials based on their thermomechanical actuation. As this Viewpoint describes, these and other examples are active areas of research in which new, compelling opportunities for LCPs are emerging. We highlight a few selected areas that we view as being potentially significant in the near future, with a particular emphasis on nanopatterning. Here, the ability to readily access small feature sizes, the fluidity of the LC mesophase, and LC-based handles for achieving orientation control present a compelling combination. Opportunities for LCPs are also presented under the broad rubric of "beyond nanopatterning", and we discuss relevant challenges and potential new directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Chinedum O. Osuji
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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9
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Shi LY, Lee S, Du Q, Zhou B, Weng L, Liu R, Ross CA. Bending Behavior and Directed Self-Assembly of Rod-Coil Block Copolymers. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:10437-10445. [PMID: 33606493 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c22177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The formation of zigzags, chevrons, Y-junctions, and line segments is demonstrated in thin films formed from cylindrical morphology silicon-containing conformationally asymmetric rod-coil diblock copolymers and triblock terpolymers under solvent annealing. Directed self-assembly of the block copolymers within trenches yields well-ordered cylindrical microdomains oriented either parallel or transverse to the sidewalls depending on the chemical functionalization of the sidewalls, and the location and structure of concentric bends in the cylinders is determined by the shape of the trenches. The innate etching contrast, the spontaneous sharp bends and junctions, and the range of demonstrated periodicity and line/space ratios make these conformationally asymmetric rod-coil polymers attractive for nanoscale pattern generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Ying Shi
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Sangho Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Qingyang Du
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Bo Zhou
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Lin Weng
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Runze Liu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, 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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10
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Shi LY, Yin C, Zhou B, Xia W, Weng L, Ross CA. Annealing Process Dependence of the Self-Assembly of Rod–Coil Block Copolymer Thin Films. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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
| | - Chengxiao Yin
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Wei Xia
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Lin Weng
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - 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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11
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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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12
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Yang Y, Han Q, Pei YR, Yu S, Huang Z, Jin LY. Stimuli-Responsive Supramolecular Chirality Switching and Nanoassembly Constructed by n-Shaped Amphiphilic Molecules in Aqueous Solution. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:1215-1224. [PMID: 33426895 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c03190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Self-assembled nanomaterials composed of amphiphilic oligomers with functional groups have been applied in the fields of biomimetic chemistry and on-demand delivery systems. Herein, we report the assembly behavior and unique properties of an emergent n-shaped rod-coil molecule containing an azobenzene (AZO) group upon application of an external stimulus (thermal, UV light). The n-shaped amphiphilic molecules comprising an aromatic segment based on anthracene, phenyl linked with azobenzene groups, and hydrophilic oligoether (chiral) segments self-assemble into large strip-like sheets and perforated-nanocage fragments in an aqueous environment, depending on the flexible oligoether chains. Interestingly, the nano-objects formed in aqueous solution undergo a morphological transition from sheets and nanocages to small one-dimensional nanofibers. These molecules exhibit reversible photo- and thermal-responsiveness, accompanied by a change in the supramolecular chirality caused by the conformational transitions of the rod backbone. The architecture of n-shaped amphiphilic molecules with a photosensitive group makes them ideal candidates for intelligent materials for applications in advanced materials science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuntian Yang
- Department of Chemistry, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Chemistry Education, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingqing Han
- Department of Chemistry, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Chemistry Education, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Rong Pei
- Department of Chemistry, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Chemistry Education, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, People's Republic of China
| | - Shengsheng Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhegang Huang
- School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Long Yi Jin
- Department of Chemistry, National Demonstration Centre for Experimental Chemistry Education, Yanbian University, Yanji 133002, People's Republic of China
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13
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Ndaya D, Bosire R, Vaidya S, Kasi RM. Molecular engineering of stimuli-responsive, functional, side-chain liquid crystalline copolymers: synthesis, properties and applications. Polym Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1039/d0py00749h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This review describes recent progress made in designing stimuli-responsive, functional, side-chain, end-on mesogen attached liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Ndaya
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Connecticut
- Storrs
- USA
| | - Reuben Bosire
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Connecticut
- Storrs
- USA
| | | | - Rajeswari M. Kasi
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Connecticut
- Storrs
- USA
- Polymer Program
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