POLYNANO: Ordered polymeric nanostructures - formation, characterisation, applications

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 99.0466

Key words (English)

Nanoscale strucutures; block copolymers; polymer cristallisation; self assembly; copolymer lithography; Langmuir Blodgett films;
Education; Training; Scientific Research; Social Aspects

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: HPRN-1999-00151

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 4.1.1 Research training networks

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg (F)

Abstract (English)

Many modern technologies demand structures, mostly at surfaces, at length-scales below one micro-meter (1-100 nanometres). In various cases such structures have to be ordered in a regular and tuneable fashion while in addition specific physical properties are required. The major objective of this proposal is to find ways to fabricate patterned polymeric surfaces and thin films with controlled nanometer features and to examine their anticipated novel physical properties. Secondly, we plan to communicate with interested companies about various types of technological applications. Finally, the proposed framework will be used to train young researchers in this multi-disciplinary field and to acquaint them with inter national co-operation. In particular, we will focus on regular well-ordered arrangements exhibiting multiple length-scales. Many polymeric substances tend to develop ordered structures on the scale of 1 to 100 nanometers.

Different types of polymers will provide us with the NANO-features: homopolymers, diblock and triblock copolymers, miktoarm star copolymers and liquid crystalline polymers. An additional length-scale will be added by using modified and adequately patterned substrates obtained via several techniques (micro-contact printing, electron beam or laser writing, moulding...). In addition, hydrodynamic effects (breath figures, moving contact lines...) or multi-step processes will provide other means for organising the nano -features on a larger length-scale. External (e.g. electric) fields and crystallisation of semicrystalline polymers (in the sense of a directed growth process) will also be used for aligning the molecular features. In a subsequent step, the polymeric structures will be modified or treated using approaches like selective degradation or metal evaporation.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 99.0466