Fracture Fabrication of Micro/Nano Patterned Microspheres

智力优势：如果有制造具有复杂表面特征的微球的直接方法，将在许多领域开辟新的可能性。实现这一目标的挑战是缺乏在受控的、快速的、鲁棒的和并行的过程中在三维微物体上制造微/纳米特征的方法。该方案的灵感来自大自然，利用薄膜的断裂来产生图案，例如哈密瓜表皮的特征，这些图案是由于其内部的生长而形成的，从而开发了一种新的基于断裂的制造技术。具体来说，聚合物支撑薄膜的应变诱导破裂、表面化学操作、微流体、胶体组装和金属化学沉积的组合被用来形成微/纳米图案的微球。通过对微球上薄膜断裂力学的计算分析来指导所需特征的制造。更广泛的影响：微/纳米图案微球的高效制造将影响许多领域，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作。该技术还将影响微/纳米制造教育，因为该过程的视觉冲击力、实验直接性和理论上的刺激性质使其成为一个固有的有用系统，为所有水平的学生提供入门的动手实验经验。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。所开发的理论和实验也将被纳入生物医学、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.