0000000000657340
AUTHOR
Meirav Oded
Periodic nanoscale patterning of polyelectrolytes over square centimeter areas using block copolymer templates
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2016. Nano-patterned materials are beneficial for applications such as solar cells, opto-electronics, and sensing owing to their periodic structure and high interfacial area. Here, we present a non-lithographic approach for assembling polyelectrolytes into periodic nanoscale patterns over cm2-scale areas. Chemically modified block copolymer thin films featuring alternating charged and neutral domains are used as patterned substrates for electrostatic self-assembly. In-depth characterization of the deposition process using spectroscopy and microscopy techniques, including the state-of-the-art scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM), reveals both the sel…
From dots to doughnuts: Two-dimensionally confined deposition of polyelectrolytes on block copolymer templates
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd The combination of block copolymer templating with electrostatic self-assembly provides a simple and robust method for creating nano-patterned polyelectrolyte multilayers over large areas. The deposition of the first polyelectrolyte layer provides important insights on the initial stages of multilayer buildup. Here, we focus on two-dimensionally confined “dots” patterns afforded by block copolymer films featuring hexagonally-packed cylinders that are oriented normal to the substrate. Rendering the cylinder caps positively charged enables the selective deposition of negatively charged polyelectrolytes on them under salt-free conditions. The initially formed polyelectrolyt…
A block copolymer-templated construction approach for the creation of nano-patterned polyelectrolyte multilayers and nanoscale objects
A block copolymer-based assembly approach for the creation of nano-patterned polyelectrolyte multilayers over cm2-scale areas is presented. Up to 5 bi-layers were selectively assembled on top of specific nano-domains featuring different morphologies. The successful isolation of nanoscale objects corresponding in shape to the template features is also demonstrated. This methodology is applicable to different types of polyelectrolytes, and opens up a new dimension for layer-by-layer construction.
Co-Assembly of A–B Diblock Copolymers with B′-type Nanoparticles in Thin Films: Effect of Copolymer Composition and Nanoparticle Shape
The coassembly of A–B diblock copolymers with B′-type nanoparticles (i.e., nanoparticles that are slightly incompatible with the B domain) leads to hierarchical structures, where the block copolymer phase separates first and the nanoparticles create close-packed arrays within the B domains due to a slower, secondary phase separation process. Here we report the results of a comprehensive study, which focused on two aspects: the influence of the nanoparticle shape (spherical vs rod-like) and the effect of the volume composition of the blocks. Three polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PMMA) copolymers featuring similar molecular weights but differing in PS volume fraction were mi…