Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Tandra Ghoshal, Ramsankar Senthamaraikannan, Matthew T. Shaw, Ross Lundy, Andrew Selkirk, Michael A. Morris
Summary: The study demonstrated the fabrication of sub-20 nm gate-all-around silicon nanowire field effect transistor structures using self-assembly techniques with a block-copolymer-assisted hard mask approach. This involved creating nanopatterned Si feature arrays on a topographically patterned substrate, achieving dot and line nano-patterns through a thermo-solvent approach utilizing polystyrene-b-poly-(ethylene oxide) block copolymers.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yu-Hsuan Tseng, Yi-Chun Fan, Chun-Ting Chang, Yu-Liang Lin, Chia-Wei Chang, Chih-Wei Liao, Jiun-Tai Chen
Summary: In this study, a facile strategy called photoinduced alignment under solvent vapor annealing (PA-SVA) is proposed to form well-aligned block copolymer thin films without the need for chemically or topographically prepatterned substrates. The light-assisted self-assembly of the block copolymers is achieved by incorporating light-responsive azobenzene molecules into the polymer chains. The alignment of the block copolymer chains is induced through supramolecular interactions between the azobenzene molecules and the polymer chains. This method not only allows for manipulation of the position of light-responsive molecules in block copolymer chains, but also provides an alternative way to obtain well-ordered block copolymer thin films.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Andrew Selkirk, Nadezda Prochukhan, Ross Lundy, Cian Cummins, Riley Gatensby, Rachel Kilbride, Andrew Parnell, Jhonattan Baez Vasquez, Michael Morris, Parvaneh Mokarian-Tabari
Summary: This study overcomes the kinetic challenges in the self-assembly of UHMW BCPs through precision solvent annealing, resulting in highly ordered large-period lamellar domains. The research reveals that film thickness and solvent concentration significantly affect the domain morphology.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Magdalena Konefal, Peter Cernoch, Vitalii Patsula, Ewa Pavlova, Jiri Dybal, Karol Zaleski, Alexander Zhigunov
Summary: The study demonstrated that Fe3O4@PAA nanoparticles can selectively segregate inside P4VP domains, enhancing the microphase separation process and resulting in highly ordered nanostructured thin films. The addition of these nanoparticles does not alter the average interdomain spacing in the film lateral nanostructure, and they can be easily removed to obtain well-ordered nanoporous templates.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Maninderjeet Singh, Wenjie Wu, Monali N. Basutkar, Joseph Strzalka, Abdullah M. Al-Enizi, Jack F. Douglas, Alamgir Karim
Summary: The study demonstrates a rapid self-assembly technique for achieving vertical orientation of block copolymer films on unmodified substrates, leading to faster formation of ordered structures.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Kshitij Sharma, Aman Agrawal, Ali Masud, Sushil K. Satija, John F. Ankner, Jack F. Douglas, Alamgir Karim
Summary: The kinetics and morphology of block copolymer films are influenced by the processing pathway, which affects the enthalpic and entropic forces driving the ordering processes. Understanding the free energy landscape and how processing procedures can move the system through this landscape is important for controlling the variability of block copolymer morphology. The authors demonstrate a method where a target low-energy structure can be quickly achieved by subjecting as-cast films to initial solvent annealing followed by a short period of thermal annealing.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wenjing Wang, Zhe Shu, Hongxing Wei, Wentao Yan, Zhuan Yi, Congjie Gao
Summary: Isoporous block copolymer membranes with excellent solvent resistance are prepared using a novel and non-destructive hyper-crosslinking approach. The resulting membranes show superior structural and separation stability to a broad range of solvents. Hyper-crosslinking is a universal strategy that offers the opportunity to prepare solvent-resistant isoporous membranes with customizable pore size and functionality, enabling precise separation in organic solvents.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Martyna Michalska, Sophia K. Laney, Tao Li, Manish K. Tiwari, Ivan P. Parkin, Ioannis Papakonstantinou
Summary: By utilizing a versatile fabrication process and controlling the height and diameter of a hard mask, tailored silicon nanostructures can be achieved. The method is scalable and highly controllable, enabling uniform patterning of a 6-inch wafer.
Article
Polymer Science
Wennie Yun Lee, Dana Chapman, Fei Yu, William R. T. Tait, R. Paxton Thedford, Guillaume Freychet, Mikhail Zhernenkov, Lara A. Estroff, Ulrich B. Wiesner
Summary: Self-assembled block copolymer thin films and their nanocomposites have diverse applications due to their nanostructures. Optical super-resolution microscopy (OSRM) has emerged as an alternative method for characterizing nanoscopic polymer morphology. This study focuses on self-assembled triblock terpolymer thin films with all three blocks exposed at the top surface, and demonstrates the use of OSRM for multicolor characterization of chemically distinct nanodomains.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chitralekha Chakrabarti, Sadafara A. Pillai, Debes Ray, Vinod K. Aswal, Sanjeev Kumar
Summary: This study compares the aggregation behavior of PEO-PPO star block copolymers Tetronics (R) 1304 and 1307 in the presence of toluene, phenol, and methyl phenols. The results show a significant increase in micellar size with the continuous addition of these organic solvents, especially with the presence of o-cresol.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Karim Aissou, Hana Bouzit, Felix Krusch, Jean Pierre Mericq, Didier Cot, Nathalie Masquelez, Stephanie Roualdes, Damien Quemener
Summary: The study demonstrates the preparation of asymmetric and nanostructured polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinyl pyridine)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) thick films blended with a short PS homopolymer using non-solvent induced phase separation and solvent vapor annealing. The optimized film architecture shows significantly improved water permeability compared to materials with poorly-ordered nanopores, with the ability to tailor the thickness of the nanostructure by increasing exposure time. This post-SVA treatment is also shown to produce monoliths with lower water flux compared to asymmetric film homologues.
MACROMOLECULAR RAPID COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Yu-Hsuan Lin, Chang-Cheng Shiu, Tien-Lin Chen, Hsin-Lung Chen, Jing-Cherng Tsai
Summary: Blending with homopolymer can tune the microdomain morphology of block copolymers, but under certain conditions, the addition of homopolymer may lead to anomalous phenomena such as excessive swelling of junction point separation and decreased interdomain distance.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Sajan Singh, Tandra Ghoshal, Nadezda Prochukhan, Alberto Alvarez Fernandez, Jhonattan Frank Baez Vasquez, Pravind Yadav, Sibu C. Padmanabhan, Michael A. Morris
Summary: In this study, we demonstrated the formation of oxide porous and nanodot structures from the same block copolymer (BCP) through the phase inversion of a BCP template. The effect of solvent annealing time on the ordering of the BCP was investigated. Metal ions were infiltrated into the BCP templates and oxidized to their oxides. The resulting structures were analyzed through various methods, confirming the complete elimination of the BCP template and the presence of metal oxides.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Ivy Wu, Ryan J. Park, Ria Ghosh, Mei-Chen Kuo, Soenke Seifert, E. Bryan M. Coughlin, Andrew M. Herring
Summary: The development of improved durable, conductive, and selective anion exchange membranes (AEMs) is crucial for electrodialysis. In this study, a series of ABA triblock copolymers with different block sizes were synthesized and quaternized with methylpiperidine. The small block AEM showed excellent performance with high selectivity and improved salt removal efficiency compared to a commercial AEM. The enhanced properties of the small block AEM are attributed to its unique structure and water-rich region.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Jae Sang Lee, Mehrnoosh Taghavimehr, Reza Montazami, Matthew D. Green
Summary: This study investigates the effects of soft and hard segment contents, as well as the type of hard segments (linear aliphatic and DABCO), on the properties of PTMO-based segmented ionenes. Results show that high weight fractions of soft segments induce heterogeneous crystallization and lower melting temperature. It is found that both types of PTMO ionenes form a higher degree of ionic aggregates due to strong Coulombic interactions between hard segments. DABCO-based ionenes exhibit higher degree of phase separation and long-range ordered lamellar structure compared to linear aliphatic analogs, which form random ionic domains.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Liang Qiu, Haoran Zhang, Thomas Bick, Johannes Martin, Petra Wendler, Alexander Boeker, Ulrich Glebe, Chengfen Xing
Summary: This study presents an efficient method for synthesizing glyco-inside nano-assemblies using RAFT polymerization technology, which allows for the fabrication of highly ordered nano-assemblies by adjusting the length of hydrophobic glycoblock and polymerization solids content. A specific morphology of complex vesicles was captured during the PISA process, with the formation mechanism explained by the morphology of its precursor and intermediate.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Martin Reifarth, Marek Bekir, Alain M. Bapolisi, Evgenii Titov, Fabian Nusshardt, Julius Nowaczyk, Dmitry Grigoriev, Anjali Sharma, Peter Saalfrank, Svetlana Santer, Matthias Hartlieb, Alexander Boeker
Summary: A cationic surfactant with a spiropyrane unit was prepared, demonstrating adjustable surface-active characteristics with dual responsiveness. The reversible conversion of the spiropyrane unit to a zwitterionic merocyanine was controlled by adjusting pH value and light, resulting in pH-dependent photoactivity. The underlying switching processes were investigated and a thermodynamic explanation was provided. The complex stimuli-responsive behavior enables remote-control of colloidal systems and can be applied in pH-dependent manipulation of oil-in-water emulsions.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Oxana A. Soboleva, Theodor D. Gurkov, Rumyana D. Stanimirova, Pavel Protsenko, Larisa A. Tsarkova
Summary: This study reveals the individual interfacial activity and adsorption-evaporation behavior of amphiphilic aroma molecules at the liquid-vapor interface. The results highlight the advantages of volatile amphiphiles as cosurfactants in dynamic interfacial processes and provide a method for selecting volatile cosurfactants for specific applications.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Larisa A. Tsarkova, Theodor D. Gurkov
Summary: Amphiphilic aroma molecules, as dynamic volatile surfactants, show fast adsorption and evaporation capabilities. They exhibit synergetic effect in mixtures with conventional micellar-forming surfactants and can be used in technologies involving fast formation of new surfaces.
CURRENT OPINION IN COLLOID & INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Francesca Ruggeri, Christian Schwemmer, Mirko Stauffer, Philippe M. Nicollier, Jacqueline Figueiredo da Silva, Patrick D. Bosshart, Kirstin Kochems, Dimitrios Fotiadis, Armin Knoll, Heiko Wolf
Summary: This study demonstrates that isolated purple membrane patches can be transported and positioned at predefined locations in nanofluidic confinement, with control over their orientation at the target sites. The transport is achieved through a rocking Brownian motor scheme, while the controlled deposition of the membranes is realized by engineering the surface potential of a fluid-filled nanofluidic slit. This controlled manipulation of purple membrane patches provides a new pathway for integrating biological or other delicate supramolecular structures into top-down-fabricated patterns.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Christina Schippers, Jochen S. Gutmann, Larisa A. Tsarkova
Summary: Additives such as poly(butylene succinate) and poly(D-lactic acid) were used to enhance the properties of poly(lactic acid) fibers. The study investigated the physical and structural properties of these fibers before and after aging, and found that while the additives improved elasticity and ductility, they also decreased hydrolytic resistance.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Daniel Braganca Viana, Maria Mathieu-Gaedke, Nadia Miriceia Leao, Alexander Boeker, Daniel Cristian Ferreira Soares, Ulrich Glebe, Marli Luiza Tebaldi
Summary: This study successfully synthesized thermoresponsive protein-polymer conjugates, which can be used as novel drug delivery systems for targeted drug delivery to cancer tissue through the bloodstream. The copolymers of N-vinylcaprolactam and 2-(dimethy-lamino)ethyl methacrylate were grafted onto bovine serum albumin, with a cloud point observed at around 40 degrees Celsius. These conjugates exhibited high cisplatin loading capacity and significant cytotoxicity against human breast cancer cells, making them potential carriers for drug delivery or other biomedical applications.
JOURNAL OF DRUG DELIVERY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Maria Mathieu-Gaedke, Alexander Boeker, Ulrich Glebe
Summary: Proteins, with their diverse properties developed over millions of years, have great potential for applications in biomedicine and industry. However, their stability is limited and exposure to certain conditions can cause denaturation or aggregation. Modification with synthetic polymers is a powerful approach to enhance protein stability. Various methods have been established to characterize protein-polymer conjugates, but determining the structural integrity of proteins in biohybrid materials and the arrangement of polymer chains around proteins remains challenging. This Perspective provides an overview of different analysis techniques, discusses their applicability and feasibility, and presents current literature examples. The focus is on techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography coupled with multi-angle laser light scattering, analytical ultracentrifugation, and small-angle scattering, which provide insights into protein structure and polymer conformation.
MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
L. Forrer, A. Kamber, A. Knoll, M. Poggio, F. R. Braakman
Summary: We have developed a process to fabricate nanoscale metallic gate electrodes on scanning probe cantilevers, including on the irregular surface of protruding cantilever tips. Gate definition is achieved through a lift-off process and an etching process. This method allows the patterning of nanoscale devices on fragile scanning probes, extending their functionality as sensors.
Editorial Material
Polymer Science
Alexander Boeker
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Oxana A. Soboleva, Elina A. Gryzunova, Larisa A. Tsarkova
Summary: Mixed surfactants solutions containing volatile amphiphiles, such as fragrances, exhibit correlation between aggregation behavior, molecular interactions, composition of the mixed adsorbed layers, and the concentration of the volatile component in the vapors. Tensiometric methods are used to address these issues in mixed solutions of geraniol and micelle-forming ionic and non-ionic surfactants. The results provide insights into factors affecting the mass transfer of volatile organic amphiphiles between aqueous and gas phases.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ulrike Doering, Dmitry Grigoriev, Tino Riske, Andreas Fery, Alexander Boeker
Summary: The mechanical properties of proteinaceous and composite microcapsules loaded with oil were measured using SFM and evaluated with the Reissner model. The results showed significantly higher Young's moduli in protein capsules due to intermolecular crosslinking, while conformational restrictions in composite microcapsules led to reduced elasticity.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ulrike Doering, Dmitry Grigoriev, Kosti Tapio, Ilko Bald, Alexander Boker
Summary: We propose a simple and eco-friendly method for the formation of composite protein-mineral-microcapsules induced by ultrasound treatment. Through the use of high-intensity ultrasound, protein- and nanoparticle-stabilized oil-in-water emulsions loaded with different oils were prepared. The resulting capsules have thin composite mineral proteinaceous shells made with various types of pre-modified nanoparticles, showing potential applications in pharmaceutical science, cosmetics, and food technology.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ulrike Doering, Dmitry Grigoriev, Kosti Tapio, Sophia Rosencrantz, Ruben R. Rosencrantz, Ilko Bald, Alexander Boeker
Summary: This paper proposes a consistent mechanism of protein microcapsule formation upon ultrasound treatment, presenting evidence for this mechanism based on experimental data.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Pinar Akarsu, Richard Grobe, Julius Nowaczyk, Matthias Hartlieb, Stefan Reinicke, Alexander Boeker, Marcel Sperling, Martin Reifarth
Summary: This paper introduces a microcontact printing method for creating defined (sub-) microscale patterns on surface substrates with high capillary activity, using an elastomeric polydimethylsiloxane stamp to transfer functional trivalent alkoxysilanes ink. The process involves polymer brush formation and ink immobilization to achieve precise printing accuracy on challenging substrates, as demonstrated through printing on Si-wafers and addressing rough surfaces.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2021)
