Tunable assembly of nanoparticles on patterned porous film

This paper describes an approach to fully selective assembly of nanoparticles on patterned porous surface. Copolymers of polystyrene-block-poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization were used to prepare honeycomb-patterned porous films by the breath figure method. The regularity and pore size of the films can be modulated by changing the polymer composition and casting conditions such as concentration and airflow speed. Positively charged films were fabricated directly from the quaternized copolymers or by surface quaternization. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and adsorption of negatively charged fluorescein sodium salt confirmed the quaternization. Then assembly of negatively charged silica nanoparticles from its aqueous dispersion was performed. Results indicate that they assemble on the external surface of patterned porous films that without prewetting. For prewetted films, the nanoparticles assemble both on the external surface and in the pores. Poly(acrylic acid) deposited from its aqueous solution can serve as an effective blocking layer, which directs the selective assembly of nanoparticles into the pores, instead of the external surface of the film. It is concluded that the Cassie-Wenzel transition is the key to the selective assembly on the highly porous films. The well-defined selective assembly forms unique hierarchical structures of nanoparticles and greatly enlarges the diversity of structures of nanoparticle aggregates. This general approach also opens a straightforward route to the selective modification of patterned porous films.