Enhanced Hybridization and Nanopatterning via Heated Liquid-Phase Infiltration into Self-Assembled Block Copolymer Thin Films
Organic–inorganic hybrids featuring tunable material properties can be readily generated by applying vapor- or liquid-phase infiltration (VPI or LPI) of inorganic materials into organic templates, with resulting properties controlled by type and quantity of infiltrated inorganics. While LPI offers more diverse choices of infiltratable elements, it tends to yield smaller infiltration amount than VPI, but the attempt to address the issue has been rarely reported. Here in this paper, we demonstrate a facile temperature-enhanced LPI method to control and drastically increase the quantity and kinetics of Pt infiltration into self-assembled polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) block copolymer (BCP) thin films. By applying LPI at mildly elevated temperatures (40–80 °C), we showcase controllable optical functionality of hybrid BCP films along with conductive three-dimensional (3D) inorganic nanostructures. Structural analysis reveals enhanced metal loading into the BCP matrix at higher LPI temperatures, suggesting multiple metal ion infiltration per monomer of P2VP. Combining temperature-enhanced LPI with hierarchical multilayer BCP self-assembly, we generate BCP-metal hybrid optical coatings featuring tunable antireflective properties as well as scalable conductive 3D Pt nanomesh structures. Enhanced material infiltration and control by temperature-enhanced LPI not only enables tunability of organic–inorganic hybrid nanostructures and properties but also expands the application of BCPs for generating uniquely functional inorganic nanostructures.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0012704
- OSTI ID:
- 1607712
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-213753-2020-JAAM
- Journal Information:
- ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Vol. 12, Issue 1; ISSN 1944-8244
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
Similar Records
Crystallization Modes of Poly(3-dodecylthiophene)-Based Block Copolymers Depend on Regioregularity and Morphology
Tunable and rapid self-assembly of block copolymers using mixed solvent vapors