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

该奖项的重点是研究一维和二维分层有序结构的可扩展纳米制造，使用三种并发自组装技术，然后进行光处理。非接触式照片处理策略简单而良性，并在层次结构的尺寸和工程功能方面提供了新的可定制性水平。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。该研究项目在多个层面上与纳米科学教育相结合。计划招募本科生和少数民族学生参加研究活动。将邀请高中科学教师参加暑期工作坊，将纳米材料科学与技术知识转移到高中课堂。高中学生将有机会学习纳米科学和纳米制造。与传统的自顶向下的光刻方法相比，自底向上的蒸发自组装技术简单、经济，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而强大的半月板辅助自组装技术，该技术可以实现分层有序结构的大规模纳米制造。研究的重点是由润湿-脱湿现象驱动的自组织。层次化的纳米结构是通过利用在不同长度尺度上同时发生的三个自组装过程形成的。首先，通过半月板辅助自组装和微米尺度的水缩聚以及纳米颗粒在聚合物溶液/水界面的自发自组装的协同作用，制造出由光响应的均质聚合物和纳米颗粒组成的一维分层有序结构。其次，通过执行两个连续的半月板辅助自组装过程，开发了一种可靠且可扩展的二维层次有序结构策略，包括光响应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处理，从而产生具有定制尺寸，几何形状和功能的新型结构。由此产生的分层结构可以作为传感器、催化、光学、电子、光电子和磁性器件的潜在应用的功能材料。

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.