Large-Scale Nanomanufacturing of Hierarchical Structures by Self-Assembly and Photo-Manipulation

该奖项的重点是研究使用三种并发的自组装技术和随后的光操作来制造一维和二维分层有序结构的可伸缩纳米制造。这种非接触式照相操作策略简单而良性，并在层次结构的维度和工程功能方面提供了新的可剪裁水平。这些分层有序的结构可用于各种应用，如传感器、光刻掩模、太阳能、光子学和催化。该研究项目与纳米科学教育在几个层面上相结合。已经制定了招募本科生和代表性不足的少数民族学生参加研究活动的计划。高中科学教师将被邀请参加暑期工作坊，将纳米材料科学技术知识转移到高中课堂。高中生将有机会学习纳米科学和纳米制造。与传统的自上而下的光刻方法相比，自下而上的蒸发自组装技术简单且具有成本效益，并提供了一种将非挥发性材料组织成有用的有趣结构的方法。该项目旨在研究一种简单但健壮的半月面辅助自组装技术，使大规模的层次化有序结构的纳米制造成为可能。研究的重点是湿-去湿现象驱动的自组织。层次化的纳米结构是通过利用三个同时发生在不同长度尺度上的自组装过程来形成的。首先，通过微米级的弯月面辅助自组装和水的凝聚以及纳米级纳米粒子在聚合物溶液/水界面的自发自组装的协同作用，制备了由光响应性均聚物和纳米粒子组成的一维分级有序结构。其次，通过两个连续的半月面辅助自组装过程，开发了一种可靠且可扩展的二维分级有序结构的策略，该结构包括光响应性双嵌段共聚物和纳米颗粒。最后，通过线偏振光照射对一维和二维分层有序结构进行光操纵，得到一类具有定制的尺寸、几何和功能的新结构。由此得到的层次化结构可以作为功能材料，在传感器、催化、光学、电子学、光电子学和磁性器件中有潜在的应用。

This award focuses on the study of scalable nanomanufacturing of one-dimensional and two-dimensional hierarchically-ordered structures using three concurrent self-assembly techniques followed by photo-manipulation. The noncontact photo-manipulation strategy is simple and benign and offers new levels of tailorability in the dimensions and engineered functionalities of the hierarchical structures. These hierarchically-ordered structures can be exploited for use in a variety of applications such as sensors, lithography masks, solar energy, photonics, and catalysis. The research project is integrated with nanoscience education across several levels. Plans are in place to recruit undergraduate and under-represented minority students to participate in research activities. High school science teachers will be invited to summer workshop for transferring nanomaterials science and technology knowledge to high school classrooms. High school students will be given opportunities to learn nanoscience and nanomanufacturing. When compared with conventional top-down lithography methods, the bottom-up evaporative self-assembly technique is simple and cost-effective and offers a means of organizing nonvolatile materials into useful intriguing structures. This project aims to investigate a simple yet robust meniscus-assisted self-assembly technique that enables large-scale nanomanufacturing of hierarchically-ordered structures. The research focuses on self-organization driven by wetting-dewetting phenomena. The hierarchical nanostructures are formed by capitalizing on three concurrent self-assembly processes occurring at different length-scales. First, 1D hierarchically-ordered structures composed of photo-responsive homo-polymers and nanoparticles are manufactured via a synergy of meniscus-assisted self-assembly and water condensation at the micron-scale and spontaneous self-assembly of nanoparticles at the polymer solution/water interface at the nano-scale. Second, a reliable and scalable strategy for 2D hierarchically-ordered structures comprising photo-responsive di-block copolymers and nanoparticles are developed by performing two successive meniscus-assisted self-assembly processes. Finally, the 1D and 2D hierarchically-ordered structures are photo-manipulated by linearly polarized light irradiation to yield a new class of structures with tailored dimensions, geometries and functionalities. The resulting hierarchical structures can serve as functional materials for potential applications in sensors, catalysis, optics, electronics, optoelectronics, and magnetic devices.