A Simple Approach to Micro-Patterned Surfaces by Breath Figures with Internal Structure Using Thermoresponsive Amphiphilic Block Copolymers

Alexandra Nygard; Thomas P. Davis; Christopher Barner-Kowollik; Martina H. Stenzel

doi:10.1071/CH05186

RESEARCH ARTICLE

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A Simple Approach to Micro-Patterned Surfaces by Breath Figures with Internal Structure Using Thermoresponsive Amphiphilic Block Copolymers

Alexandra Nygard ^A , Thomas P. Davis ^A , Christopher Barner-Kowollik ^A and Martina H. Stenzel ^A ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design, School of Engineering and Industrial Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.

^B Corresponding author. Email: camd@unsw.edu.au

Australian Journal of Chemistry 58(8) 595-599 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH05186
Submitted: 1 August 2005 Accepted: 16 August 2005 Published: 31 August 2005

Abstract

Employing amphiphilic block copolymers in a casting process to obtain honeycomb-structured films via breath figures leads to a suborder of these porous films. A thermoresponsive block copolymer, polystyrene-block-poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide), was synthesized and used to test the arrangement of both blocks within the honeycomb-structured films. Contact angle measurements reveal that the surface of these films has a different composition compared to the structure of the pores. The pores were found to be enriched in hydrophilic sequences showing stimuli-responsive behavior, whereas the surface reacts like a typical hydrophobic porous film.

Acknowledgement

The authors thank Dr Anthony Granville for helpful discussions. We would like to acknowledge the Australian Research Council for financial support. T.P.D. acknowledges the award of an Australian Professorial Fellowship.

References

A Simple Approach to Micro-Patterned Surfaces by Breath Figures with Internal Structure Using Thermoresponsive Amphiphilic Block Copolymers

Abstract

Acknowledgement

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