Confined Pattern-Directed Assembly of Polymer-Grafted Nanoparticles in a Phase Separating Blend with a Homopolymer Matrix.

ABSTRACT: The controlled organization of nanoparticle (NP) constituents into superstructures of well-defined shape, composition and connectivity represents a continuing challenge in the development of novel hybrid materials for many technological applications. We show that the phase separation of polymer-tethered nanoparticles immersed in a chemically different polymer matrix provides an effective and scalable method for fabricating defined submicron-sized amorphous NP domains in melt polymer thin films. We investigate this phenomenon with a view towards understanding and controlling the phase separation process through directed nanoparticle assembly. In particular, we consider isothermally annealed thin films of polystyrene-grafted gold nanoparticles (AuPS) dispersed in a poly(methyl methacrylate)

SUBMITTER: Zhang R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4979748 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature