1
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Jeon S, Kamble YL, Kang H, Shi J, Wade MA, Patel BB, Pan T, Rogers SA, Sing CE, Guironnet D, Diao Y. Direct-ink-write cross-linkable bottlebrush block copolymers for on-the-fly control of structural color. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313617121. [PMID: 38377215 PMCID: PMC10907314 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313617121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Additive manufacturing capable of controlling and dynamically modulating structures down to the nanoscopic scale remains challenging. By marrying additive manufacturing with self-assembly, we develop a UV (ultra-violet)-assisted direct ink write approach for on-the-fly modulation of structural color by programming the assembly kinetics through photo-cross-linking. We design a photo-cross-linkable bottlebrush block copolymer solution as a printing ink that exhibits vibrant structural color (i.e., photonic properties) due to the nanoscopic lamellar structures formed post extrusion. By dynamically modulating UV-light irradiance during printing, we can program the color of the printed material to access a broad spectrum of visible light with a single ink while also creating color gradients not previously possible. We unveil the mechanism of this approach using a combination of coarse-grained simulations, rheological measurements, and structural characterizations. Central to the assembly mechanism is the matching of the cross-linking timescale with the assembly timescale, which leads to kinetic trapping of the assembly process that evolves structural color from blue to red driven by solvent evaporation. This strategy of integrating cross-linking chemistry and out-of-equilibrium processing opens an avenue for spatiotemporal control of self-assembled nanostructures during additive manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanghyun Jeon
- Department Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
| | - Yash Laxman Kamble
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
| | - Haisu Kang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
| | - Jiachun Shi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
| | - Matthew A. Wade
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
| | - Bijal B. Patel
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
| | - Tianyuan Pan
- Department Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
- Department of Molecular Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
| | - Simon A. Rogers
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
- Department of Molecular Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
| | - Charles E. Sing
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
- Department of Molecular Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
| | - Damien Guironnet
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
- Department of Molecular Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
| | - Ying Diao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
- Department of Molecular Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL61801
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2
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Nowak SR, Tiwale N, Doerk GS, Nam CY, Black CT, Yager KG. Responsive blends of block copolymers stabilize the hexagonally perforated lamellae morphology. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:2594-2604. [PMID: 36947412 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00142c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Blends of block copolymers can form phases and exhibit features distinct from the constituent materials. We study thin film blends of cylinder-forming and lamellar-forming block copolymers across a range of substrate surface energies. Blend materials are responsive to interfacial energy, allowing selection of pure or coexisting phases based on surface chemistry. Blending stabilizes certain motifs that are typically metastable, and can be used to generate pure hexagonally perforated lamellar thin films across a range of film thicknesses and surface energies. This tolerant behavior is ascribed to the ability of blend materials to redistribute chains to stabilize otherwise high-energy defect structures. The blend responsiveness allows the morphology to be spatially defined through multi-tone chemical surface patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R Nowak
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
| | - Nikhil Tiwale
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
| | - Gregory S Doerk
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
| | - Chang-Yong Nam
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
| | - Charles T Black
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
| | - Kevin G Yager
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
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3
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Methods and strategies for producing porous photocatalysts: Review. J SOLID STATE CHEM 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jssc.2023.123834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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4
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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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5
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DeStefano A, Segalman RA, Davidson EC. Where Biology and Traditional Polymers Meet: The Potential of Associating Sequence-Defined Polymers for Materials Science. JACS AU 2021; 1:1556-1571. [PMID: 34723259 PMCID: PMC8549048 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.1c00297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Polymers with precisely defined monomeric sequences present an exquisite tool for controlling material properties by harnessing both the robustness of synthetic polymers and the ability to tailor the inter- and intramolecular interactions so crucial to many biological materials. While polymer scientists traditionally synthesized and studied the physics of long molecules best described by their statistical nature, many biological polymers derive their highly tailored functions from precisely controlled sequences. Therefore, significant effort has been applied toward developing new methods of synthesizing, characterizing, and understanding the physics of non-natural sequence-defined polymers. This perspective considers the synergistic advantages that can be achieved via tailoring both precise sequence control and attributes of traditional polymers in a single system. Here, we focus on the potential of sequence-defined polymers in highly associating systems, with a focus on the unique properties, such as enhanced proton conductivity, that can be attained by incorporating sequence. In particular, we examine these materials as key model systems for studying previously unresolvable questions in polymer physics including the role of chain shape near interfaces and how to tailor compatibilization between dissimilar polymer blocks. Finally, we discuss the critical challenges-in particular, truly scalable synthetic approaches, characterization and modeling tools, and robust control and understanding of assembly pathways-that must be overcome for sequence-defined polymers to attain their potential and achieve ubiquity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audra
J. DeStefano
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Rachel A. Segalman
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
- Department
of Materials, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, United States
| | - Emily C. Davidson
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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6
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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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7
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Dennis JM, Savage AM, Mrozek RA, Lenhart JL. Stimuli‐responsive mechanical properties in polymer glasses: challenges and opportunities for defense applications. POLYM INT 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pi.6154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Dennis
- United States Army Research Laboratory Aberdeen Proving Ground Adelphi MD USA
| | - Alice M Savage
- United States Army Research Laboratory Aberdeen Proving Ground Adelphi MD USA
| | - Randy A Mrozek
- United States Army Research Laboratory Aberdeen Proving Ground Adelphi MD USA
| | - Joseph L Lenhart
- United States Army Research Laboratory Aberdeen Proving Ground Adelphi MD USA
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8
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Toth K, Osuji CO, Yager KG, Doerk GS. High-throughput morphology mapping of self-assembling ternary polymer blends. RSC Adv 2020; 10:42529-42541. [PMID: 35516747 PMCID: PMC9057993 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra08491c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Multicomponent blending is a convenient yet powerful approach to rationally control the material structure, morphology, and functional properties in solution-deposited films of block copolymers and other self-assembling nanomaterials. However, progress in understanding the structural and morphological dependencies on blend composition is hampered by the time and labor required to synthesize and characterize a large number of discrete samples. Here, we report a new method to systematically explore a wide composition space in ternary blends. Specifically, the blend composition space is divided into gradient segments deposited sequentially on a single wafer by a new gradient electrospray deposition tool, and characterized using high-throughput grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering. This method is applied to the creation of a ternary morphology diagram for a cylinder-forming polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) block copolymer blended with PS and PMMA homopolymers. Using “wet brush” homopolymers of very low molecular weight (∼1 kg mol−1), we identify well-demarcated composition regions comprising highly ordered cylinder, lamellae, and sphere morphologies, as well as a disordered phase at high homopolymer mass fractions. The exquisite granularity afforded by this approach also helps to uncover systematic dependencies among self-assembled morphology, topological grain size, and domain period as functions of homopolymer mass fraction and PS : PMMA ratio. These results highlight the significant advantages afforded by blending low molecular weight homopolymers for block copolymer self-assembly. Meanwhile, the high-throughput, combinatorial approach to investigating nanomaterial blends introduced here dramatically reduces the time required to explore complex process parameter spaces and is a natural complement to recent advances in autonomous X-ray characterization. Compositionally graded electrospray deposition combined with grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering forms a high-throughput approach for mapping phase behavior in ternary mixtures as demonstrated here using block copolymer blends.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristof Toth
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University New Haven Connecticut 06520 USA
| | - Chinedum O Osuji
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pennsylvania 19104 USA
| | - Kevin G Yager
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton New York 11973 USA
| | - Gregory S Doerk
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton New York 11973 USA
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9
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Seguini G, Zanenga F, Cannetti G, Perego M. Thermodynamics and ordering kinetics in asymmetric PS-b-PMMA block copolymer thin films. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:5525-5533. [PMID: 32500912 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm00441c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The ordering kinetics of standing cylinder-forming polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) block copolymers (molecular weight: 39 kg mol-1) close to the order-disorder transition is experimentally investigated following the temporal evolution of the correlation length at different annealing temperatures. The growth exponent of the grain-coarsening process is determined to be 1/2, signature of a curvature-driven ordering mechanism. The measured activation enthalpy and the resulting Meyer-Neldel temperature for this specific copolymer along with the data already known for PS-b-PMMA block copolymers in strong segregation limit allow investigation of the interplay between the ordering kinetics and the thermodynamic driving force during the grain coarsening. These findings unveil various phenomena concomitantly occurring during the thermally activated ordering kinetics at segmental, single chain, and collective levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Seguini
- IMM-CNR, Unit of Agrate Brianza, Via C. Olivetti 2, I-20864 Agrate Brianza, Italy.
| | - Fabio Zanenga
- IMM-CNR, Unit of Agrate Brianza, Via C. Olivetti 2, I-20864 Agrate Brianza, Italy.
| | - Gianluca Cannetti
- IMM-CNR, Unit of Agrate Brianza, Via C. Olivetti 2, I-20864 Agrate Brianza, Italy.
| | - Michele Perego
- IMM-CNR, Unit of Agrate Brianza, Via C. Olivetti 2, I-20864 Agrate Brianza, Italy.
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10
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Ghosh S, Mukherjee A, Arroyave R, Douglas JF. Impact of particle arrays on phase separation composition patterns. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:224902. [PMID: 32534548 DOI: 10.1063/5.0007859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We examine the symmetry-breaking effect of fixed constellations of particles on the surface-directed spinodal decomposition of binary blends in the presence of particles whose surfaces have a preferential affinity for one of the components. Our phase-field simulations indicate that the phase separation morphology in the presence of particle arrays can be tuned to have a continuous, droplet, lamellar, or hybrid morphology depending on the interparticle spacing, blend composition, and time. In particular, when the interparticle spacing is large compared to the spinodal wavelength, a transient target pattern composed of alternate rings of preferred and non-preferred phases emerges at early times, tending to adopt the symmetry of the particle configuration. We reveal that such target patterns stabilize for certain characteristic length, time, and composition scales characteristic of the pure phase-separating mixture. To illustrate the general range of phenomena exhibited by mixture-particle systems, we simulate the effects of single-particle, multi-particle, and cluster-particle systems having multiple geometrical configurations of the particle characteristic of pattern substrates on phase separation. Our simulations show that tailoring the particle configuration, or substrate pattern configuration, a relative fluid-particle composition should allow the desirable control of the phase separation morphology as in block copolymer materials, but where the scales accessible to this approach of organizing phase-separated fluids usually are significantly larger. Limited experiments confirm the trends observed in our simulations, which should provide some guidance in engineering patterned blend and other mixtures of technological interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supriyo Ghosh
- Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - Arnab Mukherjee
- Center for Hierarchical Materials Design, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
| | - Raymundo Arroyave
- Materials Science and Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA
| | - Jack F Douglas
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, USA
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11
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Müller M. Process-directed self-assembly of copolymers: Results of and challenges for simulation studies. Prog Polym Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2019.101198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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12
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Doerk GS, Li R, Fukuto M, Yager KG. Wet Brush Homopolymers as “Smart Solvents” for Rapid, Large Period Block Copolymer Thin Film Self-Assembly. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory S. Doerk
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Ruipeng Li
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Masafumi Fukuto
- National Synchrotron Light Source II, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Kevin G. Yager
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
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13
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Basutkar MN, Majewski PW, Doerk GS, Toth K, Osuji CO, Karim A, Yager KG. Aligned Morphologies in Near-Edge Regions of Block Copolymer Thin Films. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Monali N. Basutkar
- Department of Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States
| | | | - Gregory S. Doerk
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
| | - Kristof Toth
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, United States
| | - Chinedum O. Osuji
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Alamgir Karim
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Kevin G. Yager
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, United States
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14
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Ito K, Yamada Y, Miura A, Iizuka H. High-aspect-ratio mushroom-like silica nanopillars immersed in air: epsilon-near-zero metamaterials mediated by a phonon-polaritonic anisotropy. RSC Adv 2019; 9:16431-16438. [PMID: 35516384 PMCID: PMC9064425 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra02494h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epsilon-near-zero metamaterials offer opportunities for intriguing electromagnetic-wave phenomena. Here we experimentally demonstrate that silica perpendicular nanopillars immersed in air exhibit a uniaxial epsilon-near-zero response mediated by phonon polaritons in the mid-infrared range. Unique mushroom-shaped heads on nanopillars play a crucial role to realize SiO2 metamaterials over a large area in our self-assembled fabrication process with block copolymers, polystyrene-block-poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PS-b-PDMS). SiO2 nanopillars having heights of 80 nm, 200 nm, and 300 nm (aspect ratios up to ∼13) are obtained after calcination at 450 °C and the electromagnetic responses are evaluated using a mid-infrared ellipsometric apparatus. For nanopillars with 200 nm height, the permittivity of the perpendicular component ε⊥ approaches to near zero (0.2) while the parallel component ε‖ shows a value of 1.8. The measured uniaxial epsilon-near-zero responses are excellently reproduced by the effective medium theory. Our results, therefore, indicate that SiO2 nanopillars/air uniaxial epsilon-near-zero metamaterials in the mid-infrared range can be amenable to large scale fabrication. High-aspect-ratio mushroom-like silica nanopillars fabricated from self-assembly of block-copolymers exhibit a uniaxial epsilon-near-zero response in the mid-infrared range.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Kota Ito
- Toyota Central Research & Development Laboratories, Inc
- Nagakute
- Japan
| | - Yuri Yamada
- Toyota Central Research & Development Laboratories, Inc
- Nagakute
- Japan
| | - Atsushi Miura
- Toyota Central Research & Development Laboratories, Inc
- Nagakute
- Japan
| | - Hideo Iizuka
- Toyota Research Institute of North America
- Toyota Motor North America
- Ann Arbor
- USA
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15
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Liao F, Shi LY, Cheng LC, Lee S, Ran R, Yager KG, Ross CA. Self-assembly of a silicon-containing side-chain liquid crystalline block copolymer in bulk and in thin films: kinetic pathway of a cylinder to sphere transition. NANOSCALE 2018; 11:285-293. [PMID: 30534671 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr07685e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The self-assembly of a high-χ silicon-containing side-chain liquid crystalline block copolymer (LC BCP) in bulk and in thin films is reported, and the structural transition process from the hexagonally packed cylinder (HEX) to the body-centered cubic structure (BCC) in thin films was examined by both reciprocal and real space experimental methods. The block copolymer, poly(dimethylsiloxane-b-11-(4'-cyanobiphenyl-4-yloxy)undecylmethacrylate) (PDMS-b-P(4CNB11C)MA) with a molecular weight of 19.5 kg mol-1 and a volume fraction of PDMS 27% self-assembled in bulk into a hierarchical nanostructure of sub-20 nm HEX cylinders of PDMS with the P(4CNB11C)MA block exhibiting a smectic LC phase with a 1.61 nm period. The structure remained HEX as the P(4CNB11C)MA block transformed to an isotropic phase at ∼120 °C. In the thin films, the PDMS cylindrical microdomains were oriented in layers parallel to the substrate surface. The LC block formed a smectic LC phase which transformed to an isotropic phase at ∼120 °C, and the microphase-separated nanostructure transformed from HEX to BCC spheres at ∼160 °C. The hierarchical structure as well as the dynamic structural transition of the thin films were characterized using in situ grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering and grazing-incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering. The transient morphologies from the HEX to BCC structure in thin films were captured by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, and the transition pathway was described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fen Liao
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
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16
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Doerk GS, Li R, Fukuto M, Rodriguez A, Yager KG. Thickness-Dependent Ordering Kinetics in Cylindrical Block Copolymer/Homopolymer Ternary Blends. Macromolecules 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.8b01773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Alfredo Rodriguez
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, City College of City University of New York, New York, New York 10031, United States
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17
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Abstract
Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) is a powerful technique for measuring the nanostructure of coatings and thin films. However, GISAXS data are plagued by distortions that complicate data analysis. The detector image is a warped representation of reciprocal space because of refraction, and overlapping scattering patterns appear because of reflection. A method is presented to unwarp GISAXS data, recovering an estimate of the true undistorted scattering pattern. The method consists of first generating a guess for the structure of the reciprocal-space scattering by solving for a mutually consistent prediction from the transmission and reflection sub-components. This initial guess is then iteratively refined by fitting experimental GISAXS images at multiple incident angles, using the distorted-wave Born approximation (DWBA) to convert between reciprocal space and detector space. This method converges to a high-quality reconstruction for the undistorted scattering, as validated by comparing with grazing-transmission scattering data. This new method for unwarping GISAXS images will broaden the applicability of grazing-incidence techniques, allowing experimenters to inspect undistorted visualizations of their data and allowing a broader range of analysis methods to be applied to GI data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiliang Liu
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Kevin G. Yager
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
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