Perpendicular orientation of sub-10 nm channels in polystyrene-b-poly(4-hydroxyl styrene)/PEG oligomer blend thin films

Block copolymer self-assembly for nanophotonics

The ability to control and modulate the interaction of light with matter is crucial to achieve desired optical properties including reflection, transmission, and selective polarization. Photonic materials rely upon precise control over the composition and morphology to establish periodic interactions with light on the wavelength and sub-wavelength length scales. Supramolecular assembly provides a natural solution allowing the encoding of a desired 3D architecture into the chemical building blocks and assembly conditions. The compatibility with solution processing and low-overhead manufacturing is a significant advantage over more complex approaches such as lithography or colloidal assembly. Here we review recent advances on photonic architectures derived from block copolymers and highlight the influence and complexity of processing pathways. Notable examples that have emerged from this unique synthesis platform include Bragg reflectors, antireflective coatings, and chiral metamaterials. We further predict expanded photonic capabilities and limits of these approaches in light of future developments of the field.

Intriguing transmission electron microscopy images observed for perpendicularly oriented cylindrical microdomains of block copolymers

Intriguing images of dislocation structures were observed by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique for hexagonally packed cylindrical microdomains in a block copolymer (polystyrene-block-polyethylenebutylene-block-polystyrene triblock copolymer) film. The polystyrene (PS) cylinders were embedded in the polyethylenebutylene (PEB) matrix and oriented perpendicular to the surface of the thin section for the TEM observations. In order to understand such strange dislocation structures, we applied an image processing technique using two-dimensional Fourier transform (FT) and inverse Fourier transform (IFT) methods. It was found that these intriguing images were not ascribed to real dislocation structures but were fake ones due to the moiré effect caused by the overlapping of hexagons with a slightly mismatched orientation. Furthermore, grain boundaries in the ultrathin section can be identified by image processing using FT and IFT methods.