Patterned Polymer Films via Reactive Silane Infusion-Induced Wrinkling

Abstract

A method for simultaneously patterning and functionalizing thin poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) films through a reactive silane infusion based wrinkling is developed. Wrinkled patterns with tunable wavelengths on submicrometer size are easily produced over large area surfaces and can express a wide variety of chemical functional groups on the surface. The characteristic wavelength of wrinkling scales linearly with initial film thickness, in agreement with a gradationally swollen film model. Results from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm that the wrinkled film is composed of two layers: a gradient cross-linked top layer and a uniform un-cross-linked bottom layer. The surface chemical properties of wrinkles can be easily tuned by infusion of different functional silanes. Hierarchical wrinkled patterns with micro/nano structure can be achieved by combining wrinkling with other simple lithography methods. Wrinkled nanopatterns can be used as a mold to transfer the topology to a variety of other materials using nanoimprint lithography.

Formation of a Crack-Free, Hybrid Skin Layer with Tunable Surface Topography and Improved Gas Permeation Selectivity on Elastomers Using Gel–Liquid Infiltration Polymerization

“…We demonstrated that the morphology and properties of the skin layers can be controlled by adjusting both the process conditions and substrates topography, and that the skin layers significantly reduce the solvent/gas permeation and improve the gas selectivity. Different from the reactive infusion process where a reactive silane diffuse and covalently bounded to the network, 37 the infiltrated polyamide is physically fused with the PDMS network within the skin layer. Thus, the GLIP processes is extremely versatile: the infiltrated polymers can be selected from a broad range of interfacial polymerization systems, 38 and the substrates can be any polymer networks.…”

Scaling Up Nature: Large Area Flexible Biomimetic Surfaces

“…2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (98%) were purchased from Acros Organics and Poly(2-hydroxymethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) was synthesized according to our previous work. 23 …”

Kinetic study of a swelling-induced network of folds in a cross-linked PS-PDMS film

“…In most cases, in order to form the two-layer structure, various cross-linking technologies can oen be carried out, including chemical cross-linking, 18 UV-ozone cross-linking, 19 and plasma induced cross-linking. 20 In fact, the difference in molecule modulus between the top layer and lower layer, closely related to cross-linking intensity, can greatly inuence the nal pattern morphologies and kinetics. Furthermore, varying the external stress will prompt the emergence of diverse surface morphologies with different characteristic dimensions.…”