Issue 31, 2014

Self-assembly of an interacting binary blend of diblock copolymers in thin films: a potential route to porous materials with reactive nanochannel chemistry

Abstract

Self-assembly of a binary mixture of poly(styrene)336-block-poly(4-vinyl pyridine)25 (PS336-b-P4VP25) and poly(ethylene glycol)113-block-poly(4-hydroxy styrene)25 (PEG113-b-P4HS25) is shown to give rise to a cylindrical morphology in thin films through pyridine/phenol-based hetero-complementary hydrogen bonding interactions between the P4VP and P4HS copolymer segments. Removal of the cylindrical phase (PEG-b-P4HS) allowed access to porous materials having a pore surface decorated with P4VP polymer blocks. These segments could be transformed into cationic polyelectrolytes through quaternization of the pyridine nitrogen atom. The resulting positively charged nanopore surface could recognize negatively charged gold nanoparticles through electrostatic interactions. This work, therefore, outlines the utility of the supramolecular AB/CD type of block copolymer towards preparation of ordered porous thin films carrying a chemically defined channel surface with a large number of reactive sites.

Graphical abstract: Self-assembly of an interacting binary blend of diblock copolymers in thin films: a potential route to porous materials with reactive nanochannel chemistry

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 May 2014
Accepted
08 Jun 2014
First published
30 Jun 2014

Soft Matter, 2014,10, 5755-5762

Self-assembly of an interacting binary blend of diblock copolymers in thin films: a potential route to porous materials with reactive nanochannel chemistry

J. Rao, H. Ma, J. Baettig, S. Woo, M. C. Stuparu, J. Bang and A. Khan, Soft Matter, 2014, 10, 5755 DOI: 10.1039/C4SM01029A

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