Directed assembly of cylinder-forming block copolymer films and thermochemically induced cylinder to sphere transition: a hierarchical route to linear arrays of nanodots

Nano Lett. 2005 Jul;5(7):1379-84. doi: 10.1021/nl0506913.

Abstract

A morphological transition from cylinders to spheres was induced in an asymmetric diblock copolymer, poly(styrene)-block-poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PS-b-PtBA). The periodic arrays of the poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PtBA) domains were transformed to the ordered poly(acrylic anhydride) (PAA) spheres via the thermal deprotection of tert-butyl acrylate linkages and the subsequent volume change of the minority block. Coupled with techniques to direct the assembly of cylinder-forming block copolymers, this finding provides new routes to fabricate ordered geometries of nanodot arrays.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Acrylates / chemistry*
  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Hot Temperature
  • Materials Testing
  • Membranes, Artificial*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Nanotubes / analysis
  • Nanotubes / chemistry*
  • Nanotubes / ultrastructure*
  • Particle Size
  • Phase Transition
  • Polystyrenes / chemistry*

Substances

  • Acrylates
  • Membranes, Artificial
  • Polystyrenes