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A strategy to replicate fingerprint patterns formed by the self-assembly of lamella-forming block copolymer (BCP) was investigated. To accomplish this, liquid conformal layers were placed between the surfaces of a “master” BCP film and a transparent “replica” substrate that solidified and covalently bonded to the BCP upon exposure to light. The benzophenone-containing conformal layer enabled pattern replication over areas limited only by the size of the samples and exposure field. The replication step is light activated, occurs below the glass transition of the BCP, and takes less than 1 h. This demonstration used a poly­(styrene-<i>b</i>-methyl methacrylate) BCP with a bulk domain periodicity of 42 nm, but it is possible that the chemistry may be generalized to many other BCPs. Control experiments conducted with alternative conformal layer compositions indicate that interfacial photosensitization of the BCP by excited benzophenone, followed by propagation to residual acrylate groups present in the conformal layer, is the primary mechanism by which pattern replication takes place

Light-Activated Replication of Block Copolymer Fingerprint Patterns

A strategy to replicate fingerprint patterns formed by the self-assembly of lamella-forming block copolymer (BCP) was investigated. To accomplish this, liquid conformal layers were placed between the surfaces of a “master” BCP film and a transparent “replica” substrate that solidified and covalently bonded to the BCP upon exposure to light. The benzophenone-containing conformal layer enabled pattern replication over areas limited only by the size of the samples and exposure field. The replication step is light activated, occurs below the glass transition of the BCP, and takes less than 1 h. This demonstration used a poly­(styrene-<i>b</i>-methyl methacrylate) BCP with a bulk domain periodicity of 42 nm, but it is possible that the chemistry may be generalized to many other BCPs. Control experiments conducted with alternative conformal layer compositions indicate that interfacial photosensitization of the BCP by excited benzophenone, followed by propagation to residual acrylate groups present in the conformal layer, is the primary mechanism by which pattern replication takes place

Light-Activated Replication of Block Copolymer Fingerprint Patterns

A strategy to replicate fingerprint patterns formed by the self-assembly of lamella-forming block copolymer (BCP) was investigated. To accomplish this, liquid conformal layers were placed between the surfaces of a “master” BCP film and a transparent “replica” substrate that solidified and covalently bonded to the BCP upon exposure to light. The benzophenone-containing conformal layer enabled pattern replication over areas limited only by the size of the samples and exposure field. The replication step is light activated, occurs below the glass transition of the BCP, and takes less than 1 h. This demonstration used a poly­(styrene-<i>b</i>-methyl methacrylate) BCP with a bulk domain periodicity of 42 nm, but it is possible that the chemistry may be generalized to many other BCPs. Control experiments conducted with alternative conformal layer compositions indicate that interfacial photosensitization of the BCP by excited benzophenone, followed by propagation to residual acrylate groups present in the conformal layer, is the primary mechanism by which pattern replication takes place

Light-Activated Replication of Block Copolymer Fingerprint Patterns

A strategy to replicate fingerprint patterns formed by the self-assembly of lamella-forming block copolymer (BCP) was investigated. To accomplish this, liquid conformal layers were placed between the surfaces of a “master” BCP film and a transparent “replica” substrate that solidified and covalently bonded to the BCP upon exposure to light. The benzophenone-containing conformal layer enabled pattern replication over areas limited only by the size of the samples and exposure field. The replication step is light activated, occurs below the glass transition of the BCP, and takes less than 1 h. This demonstration used a poly­(styrene-<i>b</i>-methyl methacrylate) BCP with a bulk domain periodicity of 42 nm, but it is possible that the chemistry may be generalized to many other BCPs. Control experiments conducted with alternative conformal layer compositions indicate that interfacial photosensitization of the BCP by excited benzophenone, followed by propagation to residual acrylate groups present in the conformal layer, is the primary mechanism by which pattern replication takes place

Control over Position, Orientation, and Spacing of Arrays of Gold Nanorods Using Chemically Nanopatterned Surfaces and Tailored Particle–Particle–Surface Interactions

The synergy of self- and directed-assembly processes and lithography provides intriguing avenues to fabricate translationally ordered nanoparticle arrangements, but currently lacks the robustness necessary to deliver complex spatial organization. Here, we demonstrate that interparticle spacing and local orientation of gold nanorods (AuNR) can be tuned by controlling the Debye length of AuNR in solution and the dimensions of a chemical contrast pattern. Electrostatic and hydrophobic selectivity for AuNR to absorb to patterned regions of poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) and polystyrene brushes and mats was demonstrated for AuNR functionalized with mercaptopropane sulfonate (MS) and poly(ethylene glycol), respectively. For P2VP patterns of stripes with widths comparable to the length of the AuNR, single- and double-column arrangements of AuNR oriented parallel and perpendicular to the P2VP line were obtained for MS-AuNR. Furthermore, the spacing of the assembled AuNR was uniform along the stripe and related to the ionic strength of the AuNR dispersion. The different AuNR arrangements are consistent with predictions based on maximization of packing of AuNR within the confined strip