Self-assembly of functional nanostructures from ABC triblock copolymers

The spontaneous formation of nanostructured materials by molecular self-assembly of block copolymers is an active area of research, driven both by its inherent beauty and by a wealth of potential technological applications. Thin films of block copolymers have attracted increasing interest, particularly in view of possible applications in nanotechnology. Although much of the work has concentrated on block copolymers consisting of two components, the insertion of a third block greatly enlarges the structural diversity and allows incorporation of additional chemical functionality. Here we describe a highly ordered hexagonally perforated lamella structure based on an ABC triblock copolymer thin film. By suitable choice of the three blocks a versatile structure is formed. The perforated lamella can serve as a lithographic mask, it can be chemically converted into an amphiphilic structure without losing its order, and after selective removal of one of its constituents it could be used as a responsive membrane. Intriguingly, the particular choice of the blocks ensures that the structure is formed irrespective of the chemical nature of the solid substrate. The experimental results are supported by mesoscale computer simulations.