Hierarchical Nano/Micro Moth Eyelike Polymer Film Using Solid/Liquid Interfacial Reaction at Room Temperature

• Published in: Langmuir Vol. 36; no. 31; pp. 9064 - 9073
• Main Authors: Cao, Thuy T, Yabu, Hiroshi, Huh, Do S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 11.08.2020
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c00894

A simple pathway for the fabrication of real moth eyelike patterned (MEP) polymer film with a double-layered nano/microhierarchical structure is demonstrated through a solid/liquid interfacial reaction at atmospheric conditions. A convex-structured polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film containing CdCl2 was first fabricated using a self-organized honeycomb-patterned porous film as a template. The CdCl2/PVA convex film was immersed into Na2S/ethanol solution to facilitate the reaction between CdCl2 and Na2S at the solid/liquid interface, which led to the functionalization of CdS nanoparticles in the convex-structured PVA film. The tunable introduction of interfacial reaction resulted in the formation of a CdS moth eyelike nanoarray on the top surface of the PVA convex microarray, which mimicked the real moth eye (PVA–CdS MEP). PVA–CdS MEP film with a double moth eyelike structure showed improved antireflective property in comparison with flat and convex-structured PVA films. The PVA–CdS MEP film showed photoresponse under simulated solar light radiation and flexible duration after 500 cycles of folding.