title: Evaporation-induced self-structuring of organised silica nanohybrid films through cooperative physical and chemical interactions.
abstract: In this work, we develop the concept of evaporation-induced self-structuring as a novel approach for producing organised films by exploiting cooperative physical and chemical interactions under far-from-equilibrium conditions (spin-coating), using sol-gel precursors with multiple functional groups. Thin films of self-structured silsesquioxane nanohybrids have been deposited by spin coating through the sol-gel hydrolysis and condensation of a bridged organosilane bearing self-assembling urea groups. The resulting nanostructure, investigated by FTIR, AFM and SEM, is shown to be highly dependent on the catalyst used (nucleophilic or acidic), and can be further modulated by varying the spinning rate. FTIR studies revealed the presence of highly organised structures under acidic catalysis due to strong hydrogen bonding between urea groups and hydrophobic interactions between long alkylene chains. The preferential orientation of the urea cross-links parallel to the substrate is shown using polarized FTIR experiments.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD 4558, Australia. JBartlett@usc.edu.au and Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier, UMR 5253 ENSCM-Université Montpellier-CNRS, 8, rue de l'école normale, 34296 Montpellier, France and School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cojocariu
authors.affiliation: Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier, UMR 5253 ENSCM-Université Montpellier-CNRS, 8, rue de l'école normale, 34296 Montpellier, France and CNRS Inst. Néel, F-38042 Grenoble, France. xavier.cattoen@neel.cnrs.fr and Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inst. Néel, F-38042 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cattoën
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), UMR 5221 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. jean-louis.bantignies@umontpellier.fr.
authors.forename: Rozenn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Le Parc
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), UMR 5221 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. jean-louis.bantignies@umontpellier.fr.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maurin
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), UMR 5221 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. jean-louis.bantignies@umontpellier.fr.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), UMR 5221 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. jean-louis.bantignies@umontpellier.fr.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dieudonné
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), UMR 5221 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France. jean-louis.bantignies@umontpellier.fr.
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bantignies
authors.affiliation: Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier, UMR 5253 ENSCM-Université Montpellier-CNRS, 8, rue de l'école normale, 34296 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wong Chi Man
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD 4558, Australia. JBartlett@usc.edu.au and School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bartlett