Creating polymer structures of tunable electric functionality by nanoscale discharge-assisted cross-linking and oxygenation.
We report the creation of polymeric micro/nanostructures which exhibit distinct chemical and physical characteristics from the matrix poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVK). The structure formation is based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) facilitated cross-linking and oxygenation. The reaction of PVK with AFM lithographically induced nanoscale discharge produces raised structures in which bridge oxygen links neighboring carbazole groups. The cross-linking by bridge oxygen converts the initially insulating PVK matrix to chemically modified conducting patterns through the formation of extended pi-conjugations. A comprehensive AFM, PES (photoelectron spectroscopy), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), and DFT (density functional theory) analysis is presented to address the chemophysical identity of the patterned structures. Our results demonstrate new capabilities of AFM nanolithography in generating heterogeneous functional structures in a polymer matrix.
NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NUSNNI), National University of Singapore, Department of Physics, Singapore. nnixxn@nus.edu.sg
Xian Ning
XN
Xie
Mu
M
Deng
Hai
H
Xu
Shuo Wang
SW
Yang
Dong Chen
DC
Qi
Xing Yu
XY
Gao
Hong Jing
HJ
Chung
Chorng Haur
CH
Sow
Vincent B C
VB
Tan
Andrew Thye Shen
AT
Wee