2-D gold nanoparticle arrays from thermally directed self-assembly of peptide-derivatized block copolymers

Abstract

Collective surface plasmons (SPs) generated by two-dimensional (2-D) Au nanostructures are attractive for developing miniaturized photonic devices with sub-wavelength plasmonic structures and bimolecular sensors with single molecule sensitivity. However, high-fidelity methods for fabricating ordered arrays of AuNPs with nanoscale precision are limited. Herein, the fabrication of AuNP hierarchical structures with tunable domain spacing controlled precisely by Au phage peptide (A3) end-functionalized poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) domains in a hexagonally packed polystyrene-PMMA block copolymer (BCP-A3) thin films is demonstrated. Dynamic thermal field processing techniques control the BCP-A3 orientation and ordered-assembly, thus controlling the arrangement of AuNP superstructures from hexagonal clusters to parallel wires.