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Pathways to Mesoporous Resin/Carbon Thin Films with Alternating Gyroid Morphology
Qi Zhang1, Fumiaki Matsuoka1, Hyo Seon Suh2,3
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York 14850, United States.
ACS Nano
|December 14, 2017
Summary
Researchers created 3D mesoporous thin films using block copolymer self-assembly. These gyroidal structures are promising functional templates for nanomaterials applications, offering tunable properties and substrate transfer capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Three-dimensional (3D) mesoporous thin films with sub-100 nm periodic lattices are crucial for nanotechnology applications.
- Conventional top-down fabrication methods struggle to achieve these complex structures.
- Block copolymer self-assembly offers a versatile approach for creating 3D mesoscale structures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate single (alternating) and double gyroidal mesoporous thin films.
- To investigate the structure formation pathways using in situ grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering.
- To demonstrate the potential of these films as functional 3D templates for nanomaterials.
Main Methods:
- Co-assembly of poly(isoprene-block-styrene-block-ethylene oxide) (ISO) and resorcinol/phenol formaldehyde resols.
- Solvent vapor annealing (SVA) to induce self-assembly.
- In situ grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) for real-time structural analysis.
- Pyrolysis under inert atmosphere to enhance thermal stability and conductivity.
Main Results:
- Successfully achieved alternating and double gyroidal mesoporous thin-film structures.
- Identified complex structure formation pathways via GISAXS during solvent annealing.
- Demonstrated tunable hydrophilicity through controlled pyrolysis.
- Showcased substrate transfer technique for alternating gyroidal films.
- Observed increased conductivity after high-temperature pyrolysis.
Conclusions:
- Block copolymer self-assembly provides an effective route to 3D gyroidal mesoporous thin films.
- Alternating gyroid morphology is advantageous for template backfilling due to high pore volume.
- These pyrolyzed gyroidal resin/carbon thin films exhibit potential as functional 3D templates for diverse nanomaterials applications.
- Tunable properties and transferability enhance their utility in nanotechnology fabrication.
