CAREER: Evaporation-Driven Self-Assembly of Hierarchically Ordered Structures from Confined Solutions

职业：从有限解中蒸发驱动的分层有序结构的自组装

• 批准号: 1153660
• 负责人: Zhiqun Lin
• 金额: $ 25.19万
• 依托单位: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-08-01 至 2014-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1153660&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Evaporation; Driven; Self; Assembly

0844084Z. LinThe goal of this CAREER proposal is to develop a simple, yet robust, one-step method via evaporation for creating nanostructured materials with hierarchical order in a precisely controllable manner, dispensing with the need for lithographic techniques and external fields. To achieve this goal, two specific objectives are proposed: (1) create hierarchically ordered structures via the synergy of evaporation-driven self-assembly at the microscopic scale and spontaneous self-assembly at the nanoscopic scale; and (2) develop theoretical models to understand the mechanisms of structure formation. We intend to design hierarchical structures consisting of either diblock copolymers or quantum dots (QDs) self-assembled at the nanoscale that can serve as multifunctional materials for potential applications in optical, electronic, optoelectronic, and sensing materials and devices. Hierarchically ordered structures are produced by combining two or more self-assembling processes on different length scales, i.e., dynamic self-assembly via irreversible solvent evaporation in restricted geometries (i.e., curve-on-flat geometries) at the microscopic scale and spontaneous self-assembly of diblock copolymers or QDs at the nanoscale. This approach utilizes concurrent self-assemblies as a means to precisely organize unique nanomaterials into spatially ordered structures. The research findings will be treated within the broader context of nanomaterials science and utilized for nanoscience and nanotechnology education. Integrated educational activities will be developed to expose a wide range of audiences, including K-12 students, to this new nanoscience and nanotechnology knowledge, thereby promoting general awareness of its importance. The intellectual merit of the proposed research is manifested in the innovative studies of exploiting restricted geometries (i.e., curve-on-flat geometries) as unique environments for controlling flow within an evaporating droplet, which, in turn, regulates the well-ordered structure formation in one step. The proposed CAREER project is significant because it will lead to a new paradigm for creating hierarchically ordered structures on surfaces in a simple, controllable, and cost-effective manner (i.e., potentially transformative research) for potential applications in photonics, electronics, optoelectronics, biosensors, nanotechnology, and biotechnology. The outcomes from the research are thus expected to make significant contributions to the advancement of nanomaterials science. The broader impact of the proposed work includes stronger nanoscience and nanotechnology education across several levels. A new course on Nanostructured Polymeric Materials for senior undergraduate and junior graduate students will be developed. Female undergraduate students will be recruited for summer nanomaterials research from Iowa State University's Program for Women in Science and Engineering (PWSE), thus strengthening the involvement of an underrepresented group in the project. Summer workshops will be created for K-12 teachers who, in turn, will share the new information with their students. Web-based lesson plans on polymeric nanomaterials and nanocrystals will be developed by female high school interns for 5th-8th graders nationwide. This activity will ultimately expose elementary and middle school students to the nano-world. Knowledge generated by this CAREER project may lead to the creation of novel devices and materials that exhibit unique functions due to hierarchical arrangement of nanoscopic building blocks, thereby transitioning fundamental scientific discoveries into useful technologies that benefit society.

0844084Z。林本职业提案的目标是开发一种简单但稳健的一步蒸发方法，以精确可控的方式创建具有分层顺序的纳米结构材料，无需光刻技术和外部场。为了实现这一目标，提出了两个具体目标：（1）通过微观尺度蒸发驱动自组装和纳米尺度自发自组装的协同作用创建层次有序结构； (2)建立理论模型来理解结构形成的机制。我们打算设计由纳米级自组装二嵌段共聚物或量子点（QD）组成的分层结构，可作为多功能材料，在光学、电子、光电子和传感材料和器件中具有潜在的应用。分层有序结构是通过在不同长度尺度上组合两个或多个自组装过程来产生的，即在微观尺度上通过受限几何形状（即平面上的曲线几何形状）中的不可逆溶剂蒸发进行动态自组装和自发自组装。纳米级二嵌段共聚物或量子点的组装。这种方法利用并发自组装作为将独特的纳米材料精确组织成空间有序结构的手段。研究结果将在更广泛的纳米材料科学背景下进行处理，并用于纳米科学和纳米技术教育。将开展综合教育活动，让包括 K-12 学生在内的广泛受众接触到这种新的纳米科学和纳米技术知识，从而提高对其重要性的普遍认识。所提出的研究的智力价值体现在利用受限几何形状（即平面上的曲线几何形状）作为控制蒸发液滴内流动的独特环境的创新研究中，这反过来又调节了有序结构的形成一步之遥。拟议的职业项目意义重大，因为它将带来一种新的范式，以简单、可控和具有成本效益的方式在表面上创建分层有序结构（即潜在的变革性研究），用于光子学、电子学、光电子学、生物传感器等领域的潜在应用、纳米技术和生物技术。因此，该研究成果有望为纳米材料科学的进步做出重大贡献。拟议工作的更广泛影响包括在多个层面上加强纳米科学和纳米技术教育。将为高年级本科生和低年级研究生开发一门关于纳米结构高分子材料的新课程。爱荷华州立大学科学与工程女性项目（PWSE）将招募女本科生进行夏季纳米材料研究，从而加强代表性不足的群体对该项目的参与。将为 K-12 教师举办夏季研讨会，教师将与学生分享新信息。基于网络的聚合物纳米材料和纳米晶体课程计划将由女高中实习生为全国五至八年级学生制定。此次活动最终将使中小学生接触到纳米世界。该职业项目产生的知识可能会导致新型设备和材料的创造，这些设备和材料由于纳米级构件的分层排列而表现出独特的功能，从而将基础科学发现转化为造福社会的有用技术。