1 research outputs found
Layer-by-Layer Templated Assembly of Silica at the Nanoscale
Bioinspired bottom-up assembly and layer-by-layer (LbL)
construction
of inorganic materials from lithographically defined organic templates
enables the fabrication of nanostructured systems under mild temperature
and pH conditions. Such processes open the door to low-impact manufacturing
and facile recycling of hybrid materials for energy, biology, and
information technologies. Here, templated LbL assembly of silica was
achieved using a combination of electron beam lithography, chemical
lift-off, and aqueous solution chemistry. Nanopatterns of lines, honeycomb-lattices,
and dot arrays were defined in polymer resist using electron beam
lithography. Following development, exposed areas of silicon were
functionalized with a vapor deposited amine-silane monolayer. Silicic
acid solutions of varying pH and salt content were reacted with the
patterned organic amine-functional templates. Vapor treatment and
solution reaction could be repeated, allowing LbL deposition. Conditions
for the silicic acid deposition had a strong effect on thickness of
each layer, and the morphology of the amorphous silica formed. “Defects”
in the arrays of silica nanostructures were minor and do not affect
the overall organization of the layers. The bioinspired method described
here facilitates the bottom-up assembly of inorganic nanostructures
defined in three dimensions and provides a path, via LbL processing,
for the construction of layered hybrid materials under mild conditions