Issue 6, 2011
From the journal:

Soft Matter

Reversible submergence of nanoparticles into ultrathin block copolymer films

K. Swaminathan Iyer,ab   Bogdan Zdyrko,a   Sergiy Malynych,c   George Chumanovc  and  Igor Luzinov*a  

* Corresponding authors

a School of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, 161 Sirrine Hall, Clemson, SC, USA
E-mail: luzinov@clemson.edu

b Centre for Strategic Nano-fabrication, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia

c Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Hunter Laboratories, Clemson, SC, USA

Abstract

In this study we report on the responsive behavior of organic/inorganic nanocomposite films. Specifically, the heat treatment of the films in the vapor of different solvents resulted in reversible rising and submerging of the nanoparticles incorporated into the film. The thin nanocomposite films consisting of silver nanoparticles (100–130 nm) evenly dispersed in a poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) (PS–P2VP) block copolymer were formed via melt incorporation. To fabricate the films the nanoparticles were first attached to the P2VP domains exposed to the surface of the block copolymer film. Next, the substrates covered with nanoparticles were annealed at 130 °C. The thermal treatment caused incorporation of the nanoparticles into the polymeric film. Thermal annealing of the film in a vapor of solvent selective for the PS block caused the nanoparticles to rise to the surface. The annealing of the same film in a vapor of solvent selective for the P2VP block led to submerging of the nanoparticles into the polymer film. The submerging and rising behavior of the nanoparticles was completely reversible.

Graphical abstract: Reversible submergence of nanoparticles into ultrathin block copolymer films

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C0SM01156H
Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Oct 2010
Accepted
15 Dec 2010
First published
03 Feb 2011

Soft Matter, 2011,7, 2538-2542

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Reversible submergence of nanoparticles into ultrathin block copolymer films

K. S. Iyer, B. Zdyrko, S. Malynych, G. Chumanov and I. Luzinov, Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 2538 DOI: 10.1039/C0SM01156H

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