Brush block copolymers (BBCPs) are a relatively new class of macromolecules that resolve several key barriers to the use of polymer-based self-assembly for the fabrication and manufacturing of functional materials and devices.  BBCPs are comprised of two or more blocks of a common main chain each comprised of repeat units bearing side chains of differing chemical composition from those in the adjacent block.   The steric crowding of the side chains imparts rigidity to the main chain and when combined with relatively short side chain lengths, reduces chain entanglements.   The full impacts of these structural considerations are not yet fully established but it is clear that ordering dynamics can be quite rapid, even for BBCPs of very high molar mass, providing access to large domain sizes (up to 200 nm) and to spontaneous formation of millimeter scale, well-oriented single grain structures. In addition well-ordered highly-filled BBCP/nanoparticle composites with nanoparticle loadings of more than 70 wt.% can be prepared, yielding direct access to functional materials.<br/>Here we describe the use of BBCPs as templates for functional materials.  Specifically we describe fabrication of 1-D photonic crystals, metallo-dielectric metamaterials, non-linear optical materials, and carbon and silica based mesoporous materials.  The latter are produced by a unique photothermal processing approach that involves the rapid (millisecond) high temperature conversion of framework precursors organized by the BBCP template on flexible polymer substrates via selective absorption of light from a xenon flash lamp within the precursor film.  Rapid assembly dynamics combined with rapid thermal processing opens the door for continuous manufacturing of functional materials and films.  One example to be described is the formation of graphitic carbon composites for use as high capacity lithium ion battery anodes.

Large-area fabrication of functional hybrid materials for optical, electronic and energy applications using brush block copolymers as templates

2019 Spring National Meeting

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