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Robertson M, Zhou Q, Ye C, Qiang Z. Developing Anisotropy in Self-Assembled Block Copolymers: Methods, Properties, and Applications. Macromol Rapid Commun 2021; 42:e2100300. [PMID: 34272778 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202100300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Block copolymers (BCPs) self-assembly has continually attracted interest as a means to provide bottom-up control over nanostructures. While various methods have been demonstrated for efficiently ordering BCP nanodomains, most of them do not generically afford control of nanostructural orientation. For many applications of BCPs, such as energy storage, microelectronics, and separation membranes, alignment of nanodomains is a key requirement for enabling their practical use or enhancing materials performance. This review focuses on summarizing research progress on the development of anisotropy in BCP systems, covering a variety of topics from established aligning techniques, resultant material properties, and the associated applications. Specifically, the significance of aligning nanostructures and the anisotropic properties of BCPs is discussed and highlighted by demonstrating a few promising applications. Finally, the challenges and outlook are presented to further implement aligned BCPs into practical nanotechnological applications, where exciting opportunities exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Robertson
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
| | - Qingya Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Changhuai Ye
- State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - Zhe Qiang
- School of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, 39406, USA
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2
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Liu SSY, Ludwigs S. Electrochemical Manipulation of Aligned Block Copolymer Templates. Macromol Rapid Commun 2019; 41:e1900485. [PMID: 31774602 DOI: 10.1002/marc.201900485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Block copolymers have a wide range of functions in advanced electrochemistry because of their ability to self-assemble into ordered nanometer-sized structures, resulting in their extensive usage as nanoporous templates that can be electrochemically manipulated. These highly ordered nanoporous templates are used as working electrodes for electrodeposition and electropolymerization to build nanoelectrode arrays and can serve as models to study the diffusion pathway of redox-active units with regard to chemical modification of pores. The block copolymer system allows different morphologies to be utilized, but the most exploited structures are standing cylinders of the minority block that are etched to expose highly aligned porous nanoelectrode array templates. This review starts with introducing alumina and track-etched membranes as pioneer porous templates transitioning to the production of block copolymer films as succeeding templates, with a particular focus on both poly(styrene)-block-poly(methylmethacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) and poly(styrene)-block-poly(lactide) (PS-b-PLA). The aim is to give fundamental insights of electrochemistry where functionality extends beyond to applications in the nanoscience field of biosensors and plastic electronics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri S Y Liu
- IPOC-Functional Polymers, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Sabine Ludwigs
- IPOC-Functional Polymers, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
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Chen X, Delgadillo PR, Jiang Z, Craig GSW, Gronheid R, Nealey PF. Defect Annihilation in the Directed Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers in Films with Increasing Thickness. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xuanxuan Chen
- Intel Corporation, 2501 NE Century Boulevard, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124, United States
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 S Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Paulina R. Delgadillo
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 S Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Imec, Kapeldreef 75, Leuven B-3001, Belgium
| | - Zhang Jiang
- X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Gordon S. W. Craig
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 S Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | | | - Paul F. Nealey
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 S Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Material Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
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Zhou Y, Huang J, Sun W, Ju Y, Yang P, Ding L, Chen ZR, Kornfield JA. Fabrication of Active Surfaces with Metastable Microgel Layers Formed during Breath Figure Templating. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:4177-4183. [PMID: 28068054 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b13525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Patterned porous surfaces with responsive functionalities are fabricated by a thermoresponsive microgel-assisted breath figure (BF) process. When water droplets submerge into a polystyrene (PS) solution during formation of a porous surface by the bottom-up BF process, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-co-acrylic acid (PNIPAm-co-AA) microgels dispersed in the solution spontaneously assemble at the water-organic interfaces like "Pickering emulsions", reinforced by capillary flow. The conformal layer of PNIPAm-co-AA microgels lining the pores appears in images from a scanning electron microscope (SEM) either as a smooth surface layer (L) or as an array of domelike protrusions (D), depending on the conditions at which the sample was dried for SEM. The change between L and D morphology correlates with the volume phase transition behavior of the microgels freely suspended: drying at a temperature below the volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) gives L, and the D morphology is formed by drying at a temperature greater than the VPTT of PNIPAm-co-AA microgels. The morphological transition is shown to accompany a significant change in surface contact angle (CA) relative to a corresponding pore layer made of PS, with L having a CA that is reduced by 85° relative to PS, while the decrease is only 22° for D. Porous structures with morphologically responsive surfaces could find application in biocatalysis or tissue engineering, for example, with functional enzymes sequestered when microgels are collaped and accessible when the microgels are swollen.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Julia A Kornfield
- Department of Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, California 91125, United States
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Wu J, Wang X, Ji Y, He L, Li S. Phase diagrams of diblock copolymers in electric fields: a self-consistent field theory study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2016; 18:10309-19. [PMID: 27020849 DOI: 10.1039/c5cp08030d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the phase diagrams of diblock copolymers in external electrostatic fields by using real-space self-consistent field theory. The lamella, cylinder, sphere, and ellipsoid structures were observed and analyzed by their segment distributions, which were arranged to two types of phase diagrams to examine the phase behavior in weak and strong electric fields. One type was constructed on the basis of Flory-Huggins interaction parameter and volume fraction. We identified an ellipsoid structure with a body-centered cuboid arrangement as a stable phase and discussed the shift of phase boundaries in the electric fields. The other type of phase diagrams was established on the basis of the dielectric constants of two blocks in the electric fields. We then determined the regions of ellipsoid phase in the phase diagrams to examine the influence of dielectric constants on the phase transition between ellipsoidal and hexagonally packed cylinder phases. A general agreement was obtained by comparing our results with those described in previous experimental and theoretical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Wu
- Department of Physics, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China.
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6
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Directed self-assembly of block copolymers by chemical or topographical guiding patterns: Optimizing molecular architecture, thin-film properties, and kinetics. Prog Polym Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2015.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Li W, Müller M. Defects in the Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers and Their Relevance for Directed Self-Assembly. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2015; 6:187-216. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-061114-123209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Block copolymer self-assembly provides a platform for fabricating dense, ordered nanostructures by encoding information in the chemical architecture of multicomponent macromolecules. Depending on the volume fraction of the components and chain topology, these macromolecules form a variety of spatially periodic microphases in thermodynamic equilibrium. The kinetics of self-assembly, however, often results in initial morphologies with defects, and the subsequent ordering is protracted. Different strategies have been devised to direct the self-assembly of copolymer materials by external fields to align and perfect the self-assembled nanostructures. Understanding and controlling the thermodynamics of defects, their response to external fields, and their dynamics is important because applications in microelectronics either require extremely low defect densities or aim at generating specific defects at predetermined locations to fabricate irregular device-oriented structures for integrated circuits. In this review, we discuss defect morphologies of block copolymers in the bulk and thin films, highlighting (a) analogies to and differences from defects in other crystalline materials, (b) the stability of defects and their dynamics, and (c) the influence of external fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Li
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August University, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Macromolecular Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Marcus Müller
- Institute for Theoretical Physics, Georg-August University, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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Dinachali SS, Bai W, Tu KH, Choi HK, Zhang J, Kreider ME, Cheng LC, Ross CA. Thermo-Solvent Annealing of Polystyrene-Polydimethylsiloxane Block Copolymer Thin Films. ACS Macro Lett 2015; 4:500-504. [PMID: 35596284 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.5b00108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A combined thermal and solvent vapor annealing process for block copolymer self-assembly is demonstrated. Films of cylinder-forming poly(styrene-b-dimethylsiloxane) (SD45, 45.5 kg/mol, fPDMS = 31%) were preheated for 2 min above the glass transition temperature of both blocks, followed by immediate introduction into a chamber containing room temperature saturated vapors of toluene and n-heptane. After quenching in air, microdomains had better order than those obtained from thermal or solvent annealing alone. The short time during which the film is both heated and exposed to solvent vapor played an important role in determining the final morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saman Safari Dinachali
- Division
of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore 487372, Republic of Singapore
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering
Drive 1, Singapore 117576, Republic of Singapore
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SAITO I, OKAMOTO T, SHIMOKITA K, MIYAZAKI T, YAMAMOTO K. Perpendicular Orientation of Cylindrical Microdomains of FeCl3 Doped Polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinyl pyridine) Thin Films. KOBUNSHI RONBUNSHU 2014. [DOI: 10.1295/koron.71.586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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YAMAMOTO K, OHARA K, CUI G, TANAKA R, SHIMADA D, NAGANO S, SANO M, SAKURAI S, SHIMOKITA K, MIYAZAKI T. Solvent Annealing Induced Perpendicular Orientation of Microdomains in Block Copolymer Thin Films. KOBUNSHI RONBUNSHU 2014. [DOI: 10.1295/koron.71.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Liedel C, Schindler KA, Pavan MJ, Lewin C, Pester CW, Ruppel M, Urban VS, Shenhar R, Böker A. Electric-field-induced alignment of block copolymer/nanoparticle blends. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2013; 9:3276-3281. [PMID: 23495246 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201202380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Revised: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
External electric fields readily align birefringent block-copolymer mesophases. In this study the effect of gold nanoparticles on the electric-field-induced alignment of a lamellae-forming polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) copolymer is assessed. Nanoparticles are homogeneously dispersed in the styrenic phase and promote the quantitative alignment of lamellar domains by substantially lowering the critical field strength above which alignment proceeds. The results suggest that the electric-field-assisted alignment of nanostructured block copolymer/nanoparticle composites may offer a simple way to greatly mitigate structural and orientational defects of such films under benign experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Liedel
- Macromolecular Materials and Surfaces, RWTH Aachen University and DWI an der RWTH, Aachen e.V., Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52056 Aachen, Germany
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Wang X, Fukuoka S, Tsukigawara R, Nagata K, Higuchi M. Electric-field-enhanced oriented cobalt coordinated peptide monolayer and its electrochemical properties. J Colloid Interface Sci 2012; 390:54-61. [PMID: 23102909 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2012.08.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Revised: 08/01/2012] [Accepted: 08/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The monolayer composed of cobalt coordinated peptides having lipoic acid at the amino terminals was fabricated on gold substrate by a self-assembly method under the electric field. For comparison, the self-assembled peptide monolayer was also prepared without applying a voltage. A leucine-rich hexadecapeptide, Leu(2)HisLeu(6)HisLeu(6), was chosen as the cobalt coordinated peptide. Histidines, His, were introduced as metal ligands for cobalt to the sequential peptide. The complexation between the cobalt and imidazole groups of His residues formed a stable α-helical peptide bundle, which oriented perpendicularly to the substrate surface. In the case of the self-assembled peptide monolayer (SAM), which was fabricated under the electric field, the peptide macro-dipole moments aligned unidirectionally along to the direction of the electric field, and the cobalt complexes were fixed in the monolayer to form the ordered arrangement. On the other hand, the SAM prepared without applying the voltage formed the mixture of parallel and antiparallel packing owing to the dipole-dipole interaction. As the result, the efficient non-linear electron flow through the SAM, which was fabricated under the electric field, was achieved by the regular alignment of the peptide macro-dipole moment and the cobalt complexes. This result implied that the self-assembly under the electric field is an efficient method to obtain stable oriented α-helical peptide monolayers. This method may be useful for the fabrication of the nano-devices capable of transferring information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Syouwa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
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Nonoyama T, Tanaka M, Inai Y, Higuchi M, Kinoshita T. Ordered nanopattern arrangement of gold nanoparticles on β-sheet peptide templates through nucleobase pairing. ACS NANO 2011; 5:6174-6183. [PMID: 21739962 DOI: 10.1021/nn200711x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We have demonstrated a unique method for rational arrangement of gold (Au) nanoparticles on a β-sheet peptide template through nucleobase pairing. For the template, the 16-mer peptide 1 was synthesized, which is based on an alternating amphiphilic sequence of Asp-Leu. Here Leu at the sixth position is replaced by thymine-modified Lys, and a polyethylene glycol chain is introduced to the C-terminus. The surface of Au nanoparticles was modified with the complementary adenyl group. Peptide 1 formed a stable β-sheet monolayer at the air/water interface under an appropriate surface pressure. The monolayer film transferred onto a mica surface by the Langmuir-Blodgett method showed a linearly striped pattern with 6.1 nm average stripe width and 6 nm average interval between stripes, derived from β-sheet assembly. The adenine-bound Au nanoparticles were successfully immobilized on the thymine-bound template through a complementary adenine-thymine hydrogen bonding pair. Interestingly, linear assembly structures of the Au nanoparticles were observed, thus being successfully reproduced by the original striped pattern of the template of 1. Our method might readily fabricate Au materials with our desirable 2D pattern through fine-tuning of β-sheet sequence and nucleobase position.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Nonoyama
- Department of Frontier Materials, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8555, Japan
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Zhang J, Yu X, Yang P, Peng J, Luo C, Huang W, Han Y. Microphase Separation of Block Copolymer Thin Films. Macromol Rapid Commun 2010; 31:591-608. [DOI: 10.1002/marc.200900541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2009] [Revised: 10/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Effects of Electric Fields on Block Copolymer Nanostructures. COMPLEX MACROMOLECULAR SYSTEMS I 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/12_2010_51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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Bosworth JK, Black CT, Ober CK. Selective area control of self-assembled pattern architecture using a lithographically patternable block copolymer. ACS NANO 2009; 3:1761-1766. [PMID: 19534477 DOI: 10.1021/nn900343u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We leverage distinctive chemical properties of the diblock copolymer poly(α-methylstyrene)-block-poly(4-hydroxystyrene) to create for the first time high-resolution selective-area regions of two different block copolymer phase morphologies. Exposure of thin films of poly(α-methylstyrene)-block-poly(4-hydroxystyrene) to nonselective or block-selective solvent vapors results in polymer phase separation and self-assembly of patterns of cylindrical-phase or kinetically trapped spherical-phases, respectively. Poly(4-hydroxystyrene) acts as a high-resolution negative-tone photoresist in the presence of small amounts of a photoacid generator and cross-linker, undergoing radiation-induced cross-linking upon exposure to ultraviolet light or an electron beam. We use lithographic exposure to lock one self-assembled phase morphology in specific sample areas as small as 100 nm in width prior to film exposure to a subsequent solvent vapor to form a second self-assembled morphology in unexposed wafer areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan K Bosworth
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
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Olszowka V, Hund M, Kuntermann V, Scherdel S, Tsarkova L, Böker A. Electric field alignment of a block copolymer nanopattern: direct observation of the microscopic mechanism. ACS NANO 2009; 3:1091-1096. [PMID: 19388703 DOI: 10.1021/nn900081u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Using quasi-in-situ scanning force microscopy we study the details of nanopattern alignment in ABC terblock copolymer thin films in the presence of an in-plane electric field. Because of the surface interactions and electric field the lamellae are oriented both perpendicular to the plane of the film and parallel to the electric field. We identified two distinct defect types which govern the orientation mechanism. Ring-like (tori) and open-end defects dominate at the early stage of the orientation process, while mainly classic topological defects (disclinations and dislocations) are involved in long-range ordering at the late stages. Comparison of the time evolution of the defect density with the evolution of the orientational order parameter suggests that tori-defects are essential for the effective reorientation. Further, the quasi-in-situ SFM imaging allowed us to elucidate the influence of the electric field strength on the propagation velocity of the topological defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violetta Olszowka
- Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II, Universität Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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