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Photo-Oxidation-Controlled Surface Pattern with Responsive Wrinkled Topography and Fluorescence
Huizhu Shou1, Tianjiao Ma1, Tiantian Li1
1School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, State Key Laboratory for Metal Matrix Composite Materials, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China.
Chemistry (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|January 27, 2021
Summary
Photo-oxidation of a specific imidazole derivative creates wrinkled surfaces with controllable fluorescence. This process offers a new method for creating smart surfaces with potential applications in displays and information storage.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Surface Science
Background:
- Wrinkles and photo-oxidation are common in soft materials, often leading to failure.
- Photo-oxidation can potentially be harnessed for beneficial material surface modifications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the photo-oxidation of 2-(4-dietheylaminophenyl)-4,5-bis(4-methoxyphenyl) imidazole (DEA-TAI) for surface pattern control.
- To develop a wrinkled bilayer system with tunable fluorescence patterns using DEA-TAI.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a supramolecular polymer network (PS-BA-AA) as a skin layer with DEA-TAI.
- Applied ultraviolet (UV) irradiation to induce photo-oxidation of the imidazole ring in DEA-TAI.
- Investigated the effect of photo-oxidation on intermolecular hydrogen bonding and stress release in the bilayer system.
Main Results:
- Photo-oxidation of DEA-TAI induced stress release, leading to a wrinkled bilayer system.
- Surface wrinkle morphology and fluorescence patterns were simultaneously controlled by UV-induced photo-oxidation.
- The wrinkles exhibited pH sensitivity and could be reversibly erased by ammonia gas.
Conclusions:
- Photo-oxidation of DEA-TAI provides a method to control surface wrinkles and fluorescence.
- Selective UV irradiation with photomasks allows for the creation of smart surfaces with hierarchical patterns.
- Potential applications include smart displays and multi-code information storage.
