Fracture Fabrication of Micro/Nano Patterned Microspheres

智力优势：如果有简单的方法来制造具有复杂表面特征的微球，那么在许多领域都将出现新的可能性。 实现这一目标的挑战是缺乏在受控但快速、稳健和并行的过程中在三维微物体上制造微/纳米特征的方法。 该提案从自然界中获得灵感，其中利用薄膜的断裂来产生图案，例如哈密瓜皮上的特征，这些特征随着其内部的生长而形成，以开发一种新颖的基于薄膜的制造技术。 具体地，使用聚合物支撑的薄膜的应变诱导断裂、表面化学操作、微流体、胶体组装和金属的无电沉积的组合来形成微/纳米图案化微球。 制造所需的功能是指导微球上的薄膜断裂力学的计算分析。更广泛的影响：微/纳米图案化微球的有效制造将影响许多领域，例如光子材料的制备、流变学研究、新型电子器件的开发以及生物细胞的研究和操纵。 该技术还将影响微/纳米制造教育，因为该过程的视觉冲击，实验简单和理论刺激的性质使其成为一个固有的有用系统，为各级学生提供介绍性的动手实验室经验。 该项目将特别侧重于为少数族裔女工科学生和本科生提供研究机会。 开发的理论和实验也将纳入生物医学，机械和材料工程的研究生课程。

Intellectual Merit: New possibilities would open in many fields if there were straightforward ways to manufacture microspheres with complex surface features. The challenge in accomplishing this goal is the lack of methods for manufacturing micro/nano features on three-dimensional micro-objects in a controlled, yet rapid, robust, and parallel process. This proposal takes inspiration from nature, where fracture of thin films is utilized to produce patterns such as features on cantaloupe skin that form as the surface is strained in response to growth of its interior, to develop a novel fracture-based manufacturing technology. Specifically, a combination of strain-induced fracturing of polymer-supported thin films, surface chemistry manipulations, microfluidics, colloidal assembly, and electroless deposition of metals is used to form micro/nano patterned microspheres. Manufacture of the desired features is guided by computational analysis of the mechanics of thin film fracture on microspheres. Broader Impact: Efficient manufacture of micro/nano-patterned microspheres will impact many fields such as preparation of photonic materials, study of rheology, development of novel electronic devices, and in the study and manipulation of biological cells. The technology will also impact micro/nano-manufacturing education because the visually striking, experimentally straightforward, and theoretically stimulating nature of the process makes it an inherently useful system to provide introductory hands-on laboratory experiences to students of all levels. This project will particularly focus on providing research opportunities for minority female engineering students and undergraduate students. The theories and experiments developed will also be incorporated into graduate courses in biomedical, mechanical, and materials engineering.