title: Electric field manipulated nanopatterns in thin films of metalorganic 3-miktoarm star terpolymers.
abstract: We report the effect of electric field on the morphological transitions and ordering behavior of polyferrocenylethylmethylsilane block (PFEMS)-containing copolymers. By analyzing structures in solvent-annealed films of metalorganic sphere- and cylinder-forming diblock copolymers, as well as of 3-miktoarm polyisoprene-arm-polystyrene-arm-PFEMS (3μ-ISF) terpolymers, we decouple two types of responses to the electric field: morphological transformations as a result of an increase in the volume fraction of the PFEMS block by oxidation of the ferrocenyl groups, and the orientation of the dielectric interfaces of microdomains parallel to the electric field vector. In the case of 3μ-ISF, the former effect dominates at high electric field strengths which results in an unexpected cylinder-to-sphere transition, leading to a well-ordered hexagonal dot pattern. Our results demonstrate multiple tunability of ordered microdomain morphologies, suggesting future applications in nanofabrication and surface patterning.
authors.affiliation: DWI - Leibniz Institut für Interaktive Materialien, Institut für Physikalische Chemie, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstraße 50, D-52056 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Kathrein
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. caross@mit.edu.
authors.forename: Wubin
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nunns
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gwyther
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Manners
authors.affiliation: Lehrstuhl für Polymermaterialien und Polymertechnologien, Fraunhofer-Institut für Angewandte Polymerforschung - IAP, University of Potsdam, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Böker
authors.affiliation: DWI - Leibniz Institut für Interaktive Materialien, Institut für Physikalische Chemie, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstraße 50, D-52056 Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Larisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tsarkova
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. caross@mit.edu.
authors.forename: Caroline A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ross