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

该奖项的重点是研究可扩展的纳米制造的一维和二维层次有序结构使用三个并发的自组装技术，然后通过光操纵。非接触式的照片操作策略是简单和良性的，并提供了新的层次结构的尺寸和工程功能的可定制性水平。这些分级有序的结构可以被开发用于各种应用中，例如传感器、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相结合，跨越几个层次。已制定计划，招募本科生和代表性不足的少数民族学生参加研究活动。高中科学教师将被邀请参加暑期工作坊，将纳米材料科学和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，并提供了一种将非易失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而强大的电子束辅助自组装技术，使大规模的层次有序结构的纳米制造成为可能。研究的重点是由润湿-去湿现象驱动的自组织。通过利用发生在不同长度尺度上的三个同时发生的自组装过程形成分级纳米结构。首先，由光响应均聚物和纳米颗粒组成的1D分级有序结构是通过在微米尺度下的胶束辅助自组装和水冷凝以及在纳米尺度下的聚合物溶液/水界面处的纳米颗粒的自发自组装的协同作用来制造的。第二，一个可靠的和可扩展的战略，包括光响应的二嵌段共聚物和纳米粒子的二维层次有序的结构，通过执行两个连续的自组装过程。最后，通过线性偏振光照射对1D和2D分级有序结构进行光操纵，以产生具有定制尺寸、几何形状和功能的一类新结构。由此产生的分层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的潜在应用。

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.