Arrays of Inorganic Nanodots and Nanowires Using Nanotemplates Based on Switchable Block Copolymer Supramolecular Assemblies

Abstract

Here, a novel and simple route to fabricate highly dense arrays of palladium nanodots and nanowires with sub‐30 nm periodicity using nanoporous templates fabricated from supramolecular assemblies of a block copolymer, polystyrene‐block‐poly(4‐vinylpyridine) (PS‐b‐P4VP) and a low molecular weight additive, 2‐(4′‐hydroxybenzeneazo) benzoic acid (HABA) is demonstrated. The palladium nanoparticles, which are directly deposited in the nanoporous templates from an aqueous solution, selectively migrate in the pores mainly due to their preferential attraction to the P4VP block covering the pore wall. The polymer template is then removed by oxygen plasma etching or pyrolysis in air resulting in palladium nanostructures whose large scale morphology mirrors that of the original template. The method adopted in this work is general and versatile so that it could easily be extended for patterning a variety of metallic materials into dot and wire arrays.

Strategies for Inorganic Incorporation using Neat Block Copolymer Thin Films for Etch Mask Function and Nanotechnological Application

“…Pd and other noble metal nanoparticle deposition on surface reconstructed fi lms has been utilized by Stamm and co-workers using PS-b -P4VP BCP and supramolecular formed systems. [ 163,164 ] A recent review [ 165 ] is available on the methods used which vary from deposition of [ 135 ] Copyright 2007, Nature Publishing Group. 2) and e-h) Reproduced with permission.…”

Interfacing Cell Surface Receptors to Hybrid Nanopatterned Surfaces: A Molecular Approach for Dissecting the Adhesion Machinery

“…Metal and metal oxide nanoparticles are obtained chemically by reducing the precursor with reducing agents, or physically by plasma treatment [74]. Interestingly, several recent studies have shown that not only molecular precursors but also preformed nanoparticles were successfully incorporated into micellar systems to organise a wide range of nano-objects into hexagonal nanopatterns or arrays of nanowires [75].…”

Supramolecular design principles for efficient photoresponsive polymer–azobenzene complexes

“…147 However, none of the BCP complexes they prepared involved azobenzene guests. On the other hand, Xu and co-workers, 148 Stamm and coworkers, [149][150][151] and, recently Gröschel and coworkers, 152 have used azobenzene-containing hydrogenbonded side chains in investigations involving thin-film nanopatterning, nanoparticle assembly, and templating with supramolecular BCPs, but they did not explore the potential photoresponsive properties of these complexes. Photoinduced control over the phase structure of BCP materials combined with supramolecularly bonded azobenzene molecules is a highly interesting phenomenon, which has only recently begun to be explored.…”