Dresden 2009 – scientific programme

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SYSO: Symposium Self-organizing Surfaces and Interfaces

SYSO 1: Self-Organizing Surfaces and Interfaces I

SYSO 1.3: Invited Talk

Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 15:00–15:30, BAR SCHÖ

Block-Copolymer Derived Inorganic Functional Materials — •Ullrich Steiner — Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Cambridge

Block-copolymer self assembly gives rise to highly organised structures on the 10-nm length scale. While this is well documented, the use of these self-assembled structures for the manufacture of functional materials that make use of their high degree of symmetry is rare. This is mainly due to the the fact that text-book self assembly is limited to simple coil-coil copolymers, preventing the the use of technologically more relevant materials.

A promising alternative to the direct manufacture is the use of generic, well studied copolymers as template for materials synthesis. Three separate approaches will be discussed. (1) Well defined interpenetrating porous networks arising from partial degradation can be replicated by electroplating or atomic layer deposition to yield an organic-inorganic composite material. (2) The incorporation of a suitable precursor molecules into one of the block-copolymer phases followed by a condensation reaction compartmentalises sol-gel chemistries to a 10-nm confinement, replicating the microphase morphology of the block copolymer. (3) The growth of a single crystal in the vicinity of a porous copolymer phase results in the formation of a highly structured single-crystalline material.

My talk will introduce these three strategies for the manufacture of nanomaterials and demonstrate their usefulness in the manufacture of dye-sensitised solar cells.