Werner A. Goedel

Physically Cross-Linked Ultrathin Elastomeric Membranes

Spreading a hydrophobic liquid star polymer with ionic head groups and transferring the resulting monomolecular layers to solid substrates with holes provides access to ultrathin, freely suspended elastomeric membranes, which are stable for at least several months.

Hierarchically Structured Assembly of Polymer Microsieves, made by a Combination of Phase Separation Micromolding and Float-Casting

Phase separation micromolding and float-casting are combined to prepare hierarchically structured microsieves.

Using breath figure patterns on structured substrates for the preparation of hierarchically structured microsieves.

Microsieves are advanced filtration membranes characterized by a uniform pore size, a high pore density, and a thickness smaller than the pore diameter. The uniform pore size provides a high selectivity; the small thickness gives rise to a high flux and allows efficient removal of any filter cake by backflushing. However, microsieves are sensitive to mechanical stress. Thus, they need either an external macroporous support or a hierarchical structure that provides an integrated supportive structure. We prepare microsieves with a hierarchical pore structure by creating breath figure patterns within layers of solutions of polymers in a volatile solvent that are spread out on top of structured supports. For the formation of breath figure patterns, the volatile solvent is evaporated in a moist atmosphere. This cools the surface to such an extent that dew droplets form on the thin film, partially penetrate into the layer, and create a concave imprint in the final solid polymer layer. This procedure is usually done on flat surfaces; in our case the spreading of the polymer solution is done on a support decorated with protrusions. In this procedure, the dew droplets touch the protrusions of the structured support before the polymer solution vitrifies. At the same time, the trenches of the structured substrate are filled with polymer much deeper than the penetration depth of the dew droplets. After the separation of the vitrified layer from the substrate, we obtain thin polymer membranes with a hierarchical structure consisting of an ultrathin active separation layer with submicrometer pores and a supporting layer with larger pores.

Nonaqueous Atomic Layer Deposition of Aluminum Phosphate

Aluminum phosphate was deposited onto bundles of carbon fibers and flat glassy carbon substrates using atomic layer deposition by exposing them to alternating pulses of trimethylaluminum and triethylphosphate vapors. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) and solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (SS-NMR) spectra confirmed that the coating comprises aluminum phosphate (orthophosphate as well as other stoichiometries). Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images revealed that the coatings are uniform and conformal. After coating, the fibers are still separated from each other like the uncoated fibers. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicates an improvement of oxidation resistance of the coated fibers compared to uncoated fibers.

Polymer Microsieves Manufactured by Inkjet Technology

Liquid sessile drops can be used as sacrificial templates for the creation of pores in polymeric microsieves. Using inkjet printing, we deposit sessile drops of a water-based liquid onto a hydrophobic solid support and cover them with a thin liquid layer of a polymer solution in such a way that the sessile drops penetrate through the top interface of this layer. The liquid layer is solidified, and the sessile drops imprint their shape into it, acting as templates for the creation of pores. Finally, the polymer layer is separated from the substrate, and a freely suspended polymer microsieve is obtained.

Heteroepitaxial gold (111) rings on mica substrates

Two-dimensionally arranged gold rings were prepared by depositing a polymeric membrane bearing a dense array of uniform pores onto a mica substrate, filling the pores with a solution of a gold precursor, evaporation of the solvent and calcinations. The epitaxy of gold rings is confirmed by x-ray diffraction measurements, and the epitaxial relationship between gold rings and the mica was found to be Au(111)[1-10]parallel to mica(001)[010]. The polar and azimuthal angular spreads are 0.3 degrees and 1 degrees, respectively, which is at least equal to or better than the quality of the corresponding epitaxial gold-film on mica. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.

Porous polymer membranes via selectively wetted surfaces.

Here, we show that porous polymeric membranes can be prepared using the principles of offset printing: an offset printing plate is structured into hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions with the help of photolithography and is selectively wetted with a solution of calcium chloride in water at the hydrophilic regions. Then, a polymer solution (poly(methyl methacrylate) in chloroform) is applied to this surface and forms a hydrophobic layer that is structured by the aqueous droplets. Deviating from standard offset printing, this layer is not transferred to another surface in its liquid state but is solidified and subsequently is separated from the printing plate. The thickness of the polymer film is chosen in such a way that the aqueous droplets on the surface protrude from the film. Thus, we obtain polymer membranes with pores in the size of the protruding aqueous droplets. These membranes are then characterized by the filtration of model dispersions.

Regular silicon pillars and dichroic filters produced via particle-imprinted membranes

We have produced regular silicon pillar arrays and porous gold films on the 100 nm scale without any optical or e-beam lithography. Using particle-assisted wetting we produced a nanoporous polymer membrane on silicon. The membrane incorporated a regular array of pores generated by embedding silica particles in an organic liquid and subsequently removing the particles after polymerization of the liquid. Gold vapor was deposited onto the silicon wafer coated by the porous polymer structure. This process created an array of gold dots on the substrate at the bottom of the pores, and at the same time, a sievelike porous gold layer on top of the polymer matrix. The top layer was lifted off and used as an optical short-pass filter. After removal of the polymer membrane, the remaining gold dot pattern on the substrate served as a mask in a deep reactive ion etching process. We obtain large-area arrays of silicon nanopillars up to 1.5 μm in height and below 200 nm in diameter.

Monolayers of a solvent-free polymer brush: Part 2. Crosslinking and transfer to form suspended films

Abstract Hydrophobic polymers with low glass transition temperature (polyisoprenes) and a single head group (sulfonate) bearing photoreactive side groups (anthracene) have been synthesised and characterised as insoluble monolayers on a water surface. The isotherms are similar to those of the parent polymers without anthracene side groups and the films can be transferred to solid substrates via the Langmuir-Blodgett technique with a transfer ratio of 0.85. The films on solid substrates as well as on the water surface can be crosslinked via irradiation with ultraviolet light. Films crosslinked on the water surface can be transferred to copper grids. The films span the openings of the grids and damaged parts of the suspended films have round borders. Irradiation of the monolayers through a mask followed by solvent treatment gives rise to laterally structured monolayers.

Electrochemical investigations of a substituted oxidation stable polypyrrole

Abstract The polar substituted polypyrrole, poly(5-acetamido-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-2H-benzo[c]pyrrole), can be oxidized up to a degree of oxidation of 0.8 charges per pyrrole ring without substantial degradation. Its cyclic voltammogram (CV) shows two redox peaks. Variation of the sweep rate of the CVs and in situ gravimetric experiments show that the second anodic peak is associated with a swelling of the polymer. In situ u.v.-vis and e.p.r. spectra are in accordance with existing theories on the electronic properties of polypyrrole. While the neutral polymer is an insulator, the electrical conductivity increases to a maximum of 4 × 10−3 S cm−1 when the polymer is ‘half’ oxidized in a linear potential sweep, and then decreases to less than 10−4 S cm−1 when fully oxidized. The potential dependence of the conductivity is completely reversible. The maximum of the conductivity occurs when polarons and bipolarons have the same concentration. This supports a hopping model of the conductivity in which charge transfer occurs between polarons and bipolarons.