Gecko-like Branched Polymeric Nanostructures from Nanoporous Templates

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
Iwona Blaszczyk-LezakCarmen Mijangos

Abstract

Here, we report a simple method to produce hierarchically shaped polymeric one-dimensional nanostructures. More specifically, dual-sized polymer nanowires are fabricated employing multibranched anodic aluminum oxide templates. By fine selection of the anodization conditions, we achieve branched nanopores having a first segment of 400 nm in diameter from which seven further 55 nm in diameter pores arise. Wetting of such nanopores with polymer melts-for example, poly(ε-caprolactone) and polystyrene-allows for the nanomolding of their respective inverse nanostructures, that is, dual-sized multibranched polymer nanowires that, when supported on a flat surface, strongly resemble the spatulae of geckos' toes. The structural features of the dual-sized polymer nanostructures, namely, crystalline phase, crystallinity, texture, and so on, are furthermore characterized and interpreted within the context of polymer phase transitions in confined media. Our work presents a readily applicable approach to produce soft nanomaterials of high morphological complexity, thereby with promising implications in the nanotechnology area, for example, in biomimetic solid adhesion.

References

Oct 4, 2003·Physical Review Letters·Mikhail Yu EfremovLeslie H Allen
May 5, 2005·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Guowen MengPulickel M Ajayan
Jan 14, 2009·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Jaime Martín, Carmen Mijangos
Jul 16, 2016·Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids·Belén SanzAlejandro J Müller
Jul 21, 2017·The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B·Nitin ShingneJaime Martín
Sep 9, 2017·ACS Nano·Longjian XueAránzazu Del Campo

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