![Molecular composition of the bottlebrush copolymers (top left), and their simulated architectures (top middle and right) for different amounts of dissimilar side chains (green: poly(d,l-lactide) [PLA], and burgundy: poly(3-hexylthiopehene) [P3HT]). The bottom panels show AFM phase images highlighting the tunability of the nanoscale structure by changing the grafting density of the P3HT side chain.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Ahn.jpg)
Scientific Achievement
Bottlebrush polymers with tailored architectures efficiently self-organize into films suitable for producing nanoporous membranes.
Significance and Impact
The ability to control bottlebrush architecture and tune self-organization enables fabrication of tunable nanoporous thin films suitable as templates for optoelectronic applications or membranes for separations.
Research Details
– Synthesis via ring-opening metathesis polymerization using the grafting through approach.
– Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to understand the self-organization behavior.
– Selective removal of PLA side chains under alkaline conditions generates nanoporous P3HT structures.
S.-k. Ahn, J.-M. Y. Carrillo, J.K. Keum, J. Chen, D. Uhrig, B.S. Lokitz, B.G. Sumpter, Kilbey, II., “Nanoporous poly(3-hexylthiophene) thin film structures from self-organization of a tunable molecular bottlebrush scaffold,” Nanoscale (2017). DOI: 10.1039/c7nr00015d