Template Synthesis of Electronically Conductive Polymer Nanostructures

Abstract

Nanochemistry is an emerging subdiscipline of the chemical and materials sciences that deals with the development of methods for synthesizing nanoscopic bits of a desired material and with scientific investigations of the nanomaterial obtained.12 Nanomaterials have numerous possible commercial and technological applications including use in electronic, optical, and mechanical devices,1-5 drug delivery,6 and bioencapsulation.7 In addition, this field poses an important fundamental philosophical question: How do the properties (e.g., electronic, optical, magnetic, Finally, the tubular or fibrillar nanostructures synthesized within the pores can be freed from the template membrane and collected. Alternatively, an ensemble of nanostructures that protrude from a surface like the bristles of a brush can be obtained (Figure 2B). Charles R. Martin obtained his B.S. in chemistry from Centre College of Kentucky in 1975. He did graduate work in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Arizona, with Henry Freiser, and postdoctoral work at the University of Texas, with Allen J. Bard. Martin began his academic career in 1981 in the Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University. In 1990 he moved to the Department of Chemistry at Colorado State University. Professor Martin's research interests are in nanomaterials, electrochemistry, electronic conductive polymers, and polymer films for membrane-based chemical separations.

Fabricating complex three-dimensional nanostructures with high-resolution conformable phase masks

“…It is these two features that distinguish this technique from its most similar alternative: multiple-beam interference lithography. The application of this method to other photosensitive materials and the use of the 3D structures as sacrificial templates (5,7,17) both provide means to pattern various material types. Incorporating amplitude modulating elements (e.g., thin metal films) onto the surface of the phase masks and exploiting reflecting substrates will add considerable additional patterning flexibility.…”

“…Their limited depth of focus, however, makes it challenging to fabricate directly the types of 3D nanostructures that are important for many areas of nanotechnology. New methods based on colloidal sedimentation (4-10), polymer phase separation (11)(12)(13)(14)(15), templated growth (16)(17)(18), fluidic self-assembly (19,20), multiple beam interference lithography (21)(22)(23)(24), and various approaches based on printing, molding, and writing (1,3,25,26) are all useful for building different classes of 3D nanostructures. Nevertheless, each has limitations in the geometries and sizes of patterns that it can form.…”

Self‐assembled organic nanotubes: Toward attoliter chemistry

“…4(c)]. 19,41,45,46 One of the advantages for this method is that the outer diameter of the nanotube is controllable depending on the nanopore size of the membranes. Furthermore, chemically robust nanotubes will be available, which are tolerant to alkaline or organic solutions used for the removal of the polymer or alumina membranes.…”

Nanostructured conductive polymers for advanced energy storage

“…12 The conventional hard template method is pioneered by Martin's group and has become a powerful tool for controllable synthesis of 1D conductive polymer nanostructures. 13 Porous membrane materials, such as anodic aluminum oxide (AAO), block copolymers, porous silicate, mesoporous zeolites, and PTM are the most commonly employed templates. The dimension, aspect ratio and orientation of 1D polymer structures could be controlled either by adjusting the experimental parameters or by the template itself.…”