Dot Nanopattern Self‐Assembled from Rod‐Coil Block Copolymer on Substrate

• Published in: Macromolecular chemistry and physics Vol. 221; no. 18
• Main Authors: Sun, Bo, Xu, Zhanwen, Tang, Zhengmin, Cai, Chunhua, Lin, Jiaping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.09.2020
• Subjects: Arrays; Block copolymers; Coils; Computer simulation; Coordination; dot nanostructures; Micelles; Polymers; Polypeptides; rod‐coil block copolymers; self‐assembly; Substrates; surface micelles; theoretical simulations
• ISSN: 1022-1352; 1521-3935
• DOI: 10.1002/macp.202000254

Nanoscale dot patterns are important in various fields. However, it is still a challenge to fabricate ordered nanopatterns on substrates through a polymer self‐assembly approach. In this work, it is reported that polypeptide‐based rod‐coil block copolymers can self‐assemble into surface micelles on substrates, thus forming dot nanopatterns. The size of the surface micelles is readily adjusted by the degree of the polymerization of the block copolymers. It is found that most of the surface micelles are in a sixfold coordinated lattice, indicating an ordered array feature. Defects such as fivefold coordination arrays and sevenfold coordination arrays are also observed, which are derived from the nonuniform size of the micelles and the existence of nonspherical micelles. The experimental findings are well modelled by dissipative particle dynamics theoretical simulations, and the simulations provide more detailed information, such as the packing manner of the polymer chain in the surface micelles. Dot nanopatterns are formed by polypeptide‐based rod‐coil block copolymers on the substrate through an adsorption‐assembly process. The size of the dot‐like surface micelles is readily regulated by the degree of the polymerization of the block copolymers. Most of the surface micelles are six‐fold coordinated. Theoretical simulations qualitatively reproduce the experiments and provide the polymer packing information of the surface micelles.