Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.5
4.4
Journals
Nanomaterials
Special Issues
Block Copolymer Nano-Objects
share announcement

Block Copolymer Nano-Objects

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 16475

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Tandra Ghoshal

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry, AMBER and CRANN, Trinity College Dublin, D02 AK60 Dublin, Ireland
Interests: block copolymers; microphase separation; thin film; arrays; nanostructures; hard mask; etching; magnetics; microcellulose
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The scope of possible applications for block copolymers is rapidly expanding, with multidisciplinary contributions involving the fields of chemistry, physics, and materials science, as well as biological and medical sciences. The self-assembly of block copolymers (BCPs) can lead to various nanoscopic structures of dimensions ranging from 10–100 nm depending on the composition and chain architecture in bulk and thin-film form. A detailed scientific and technical understanding is essential for self-assembly or microphase separation of block-copolymers, describing the thermodynamics of the process, the type of structures formed, the formation of regular thin films, and how the structures might be directed to define precise microdomain location, orientation and alignment, and the elimination of various defects during the process. These properties enable BCPs to be used as a general route for patterning a variety of materials into periodic structures. A variety of bottom-up and top-down (etch) approaches can be followed to achieve different kinds of nanomaterials ranging from metals, semiconductors, inorganics, composites, etc. with different periodic architectures. This issue will be focussed on experimental and theoretical aspects of the processing steps to fabricate different nanostructures using BCPs, studying their properties and applications.

Dr. Tandra Ghoshal
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • block copolymers
  • self-assembly
  • microphase separation
  • thin film
  • arrays
  • orientation
  • nanostructures
  • process
  • property
  • applications

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

15 pages, 3365 KiB  
Article
Structural Evolution of Nanophase Separated Block Copolymer Patterns in Supercritical CO2
by Tandra Ghoshal, Timothy W. Collins, Subhajit Biswas, Michael A. Morris and Justin D. Holmes
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(3), 669; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11030669 - 8 Mar 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2302
Abstract
Nanopatterns can readily be formed by annealing block copolymers (BCPs) in organic solvents at moderate or high temperatures. However, this approach can be challenging from an environmental and industrial point of view. Herein, we describe a simple and environmentally friendly alternative to achieve [...] Read more.
Nanopatterns can readily be formed by annealing block copolymers (BCPs) in organic solvents at moderate or high temperatures. However, this approach can be challenging from an environmental and industrial point of view. Herein, we describe a simple and environmentally friendly alternative to achieve periodically ordered nanoscale phase separated BCP structures. Asymmetric polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) thin film patterns of different molecular weight were achieved by annealing in supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO2). Microphase separation of PS-b-PEO (16,000–5000) film patterns were achieved by annealing in scCO2 at a relatively low temperature was previously reported by our group. The effects of annealing temperature, time and depressurisation rates for the polymer system were also discussed. In this article, we have expanded this study to create new knowledge on the structural and dimensional evolution of nanohole and line/space surface periodicity of four other different molecular weights PS-b-PEO systems. Periodic, well defined, hexagonally ordered films of line and hole patterns were obtained at low CO2 temperatures (35–40 °C) and pressures (1200–1300 psi). Further, the changes in morphology, ordering and feature sizes for a new PS-b-PEO system (42,000–11,500) are discussed in detail upon changing the scCO2 annealing parameters (temperature, film thickness, depressurization rates, etc.). In relation to our previous reports, the broad annealing temperature and depressurisation rate were explored together for different film thicknesses. In addition, the effects of SCF annealing for three other BCP systems (PEO-b-PS, PS-b-PDMS, PS-b-PLA) is also investigated with similar processing conditions. The patterns were also generated on a graphoepitaxial substrate for device application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Block Copolymer Nano-Objects)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 4288 KiB  
Article
Alternating Gyroid Network Structure in an ABC Miktoarm Terpolymer Comprised of Polystyrene and Two Polydienes
by Dimitrios Moschovas, Gkreti-Maria Manesi, Andreas Karydis-Messinis, George Zapsas, Konstantinos Ntetsikas, Nikolaos E. Zafeiropoulos, Alexey A. Piryazev, Edwin L. Thomas, Nikos Hadjichristidis, Dimitri A. Ivanov and Apostolos Avgeropoulos
Nanomaterials 2020, 10(8), 1497; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10081497 - 30 Jul 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3882
Abstract
The synthesis, molecular and morphological characterization of a 3-miktoarm star terpolymer of polystyrene (PS, M¯n = 61.0 kg/mol), polybutadiene (PB, M¯n = 38.2 kg/mol) and polyisoprene (PI, M¯n = 29.2 kg/mol), corresponding to volume fractions (φ) of [...] Read more.
The synthesis, molecular and morphological characterization of a 3-miktoarm star terpolymer of polystyrene (PS, M¯n = 61.0 kg/mol), polybutadiene (PB, M¯n = 38.2 kg/mol) and polyisoprene (PI, M¯n = 29.2 kg/mol), corresponding to volume fractions (φ) of 0.46, 0.31 and 0.23 respectively, was studied. The major difference of the present material from previous ABC miktoarm stars (which is a star architecture bearing three different segments, all connected to a single junction point) with the same block components is the high 3,4-microstructure (55%) of the PI chains. The interaction parameter and the degree of polymerization of the two polydienes is sufficiently positive to create a three-phase microdomain structure as evidenced by differential scanning calorimetry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These results in combination with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and birefringence experiments suggest a cubic tricontinuous network structure, based on the I4132 space group never reported previously for such an architecture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Block Copolymer Nano-Objects)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

40 pages, 4639 KiB  
Review
Green Nanofabrication Opportunities in the Semiconductor Industry: A Life Cycle Perspective
by Eleanor Mullen and Michael A. Morris
Nanomaterials 2021, 11(5), 1085; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11051085 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 9350
Abstract
The turn of the 21st century heralded in the semiconductor age alongside the Anthropocene epoch, characterised by the ever-increasing human impact on the environment. The ecological consequences of semiconductor chip manufacturing are the most predominant within the electronics industry. This is due to [...] Read more.
The turn of the 21st century heralded in the semiconductor age alongside the Anthropocene epoch, characterised by the ever-increasing human impact on the environment. The ecological consequences of semiconductor chip manufacturing are the most predominant within the electronics industry. This is due to current reliance upon large amounts of solvents, acids and gases that have numerous toxicological impacts. Management and assessment of hazardous chemicals is complicated by trade secrets and continual rapid change in the electronic manufacturing process. Of the many subprocesses involved in chip manufacturing, lithographic processes are of particular concern. Current developments in bottom-up lithography, such as directed self-assembly (DSA) of block copolymers (BCPs), are being considered as a next-generation technology for semiconductor chip production. These nanofabrication techniques present a novel opportunity for improving the sustainability of lithography by reducing the number of processing steps, energy and chemical waste products involved. At present, to the extent of our knowledge, there is no published life cycle assessment (LCA) evaluating the environmental impact of new bottom-up lithography versus conventional lithographic techniques. Quantification of this impact is central to verifying whether these new nanofabrication routes can replace conventional deposition techniques in industry as a more environmentally friendly option. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Block Copolymer Nano-Objects)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop