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Poly(cyclohexylethylene)-block-Poly(lactide) Oligomers for Ultrasmall Nanopatterning Using Atomic Layer Deposition
Li Yao1, Luis E Oquendo1, Morgan W Schulze1
1Department of Chemistry and ‡Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota , Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0431, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|March 9, 2016
Summary
Researchers created nanoporous polymer templates from poly(cyclohexylethylene)-block-poly(lactide) (PCHE-PLA) block polymers. These templates enable the fabrication of nanoarrays with features smaller than 10 nm for advanced material applications.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Block copolymers offer versatile platforms for creating nanostructures.
- Precise control over nanostructure morphology is crucial for templating applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize poly(cyclohexylethylene)-block-poly(lactide) (PCHE-PLA) block polymers.
- To prepare ordered thin films for nanoporous template fabrication and nanoarray replication.
Main Methods:
- Anionic polymerization, hydrogenation, and ring-opening polymerization for PCHE-PLA synthesis.
- Spin-coating and solvent vapor annealing for thin film preparation.
- Selective hydrolytic degradation and sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) for templating.
Main Results:
- Ordered PCHE-PLA thin films with perpendicular hexagonally packed cylinders were achieved.
- Nanoporous PCHE templates with 5 ± 1 nm pores were generated via PLA degradation.
- Al2O3 nanoarrays with <10 nm features were replicated on silicon and gold substrates using PCHE-PLA templates.
Conclusions:
- PCHE-PLA block copolymers are effective for creating ordered nanoporous structures.
- The developed templating strategies enable high-resolution nanoarray fabrication.
- These methods hold promise for applications in nanofabrication and advanced materials.
