Ultrahigh-density nanowire arrays grown in self-assembled diblock copolymer templates

T. Thurn-Albrecht, J. Schotter, G. A. Kästle, N. Emley, T. Shibauchi, L. Krusin-Elbaum, K. Guarini, C. T. Black, M. T. Tuominen, T. P. Russell Science 290, 2126 (2000)

Forschung » Selbstorganisierte Nanostrukturen

Selbstorganisierte Nanostrukturen

Zusammenfassung

Organic molecules and polymers are frequently able to self-organize, to organize on templates or to organize under the influence of external fields. Such phenomena were successfully studied in Halle in the field of block copolymers, lipids and liquid crystals. Building on this experience and in combination with complementary knowledge available in the other research topics more sophisticated systems containing different material classes will be engineered and investigated.
Oriented microphase structures in block copolymers will be studied with respect to microphase separation in external fields and in confined geometries (alignment, long range order, defects). The resulting structures are of potential interest for applications as:

  • templates/scaffolds for ordered inorganic nanostructures with special magnetic, electronic or optical properties,
  • chemical or biological nanoreactors, and
  • nanoscopically heterogeneous functional polymeric materials, like e.g. ion conducting materials or materials for solar cells.

Inorganic ordered porous materials like etched alumina or silicon are used as a general template for nanostructuring soft materials. These templates provide e.g. the possibility to create polymeric nanorods and nanotubes by wetting processes. Fundamental problems arise in understanding crystallization and microphase separation in these objects. The resulting structures are of potential interest as:

  • ferroelectric memories,
  • piezoelectric nanoactuators, and
  • semiconducting, polymeric nanorods.

Another possibility is to use etched alumina (as discussed in NT) structures to confine proteins in the pores or to deposit proteins on top of the pores. Scientific questions on the dynamics of proteins under confinement and morphology development of proteins on top of alumina membranes need to be addressed.

(letzte Änderung: 07.12.2011, 07:59 Uhr)