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.
Xie
Xian Ning
XN
NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Initiative (NUSNNI), National University of Singapore, Department of Physics, Singapore. nnixxn@nus.edu.sg
Deng
Mu
M
Xu
Hai
H
Yang
Shuo Wang
SW
Qi
Dong Chen
DC
Gao
Xing Yu
XY
Chung
Hong Jing
HJ
Sow
Chorng Haur
CH
Tan
Vincent B C
VB
Wee
Andrew Thye Shen
AT