Bimodality and re-entrant behaviour in the hierarchical self-assembly of polymeric nanoparticles
Data(s) |
2015
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Resumo |
We show that a film of a suspension of polymer grafted nanoparticles on a liquid substrate can be employed to create two-dimensional nanostructures with a remarkable variation in the pattern length scales. The presented experiments also reveal the emergence of concentration-dependent bimodal patterns as well as re-entrant behaviour that involves length scales due to dewetting and compositional instabilities. The experimental observations are explained through a gradient dynamics model consisting of coupled evolution equations for the height of the suspension film and the concentration of polymer. Using a Flory-Huggins free energy functional for the polymer solution, we show in a linear stability analysis that the thin film undergoes dewetting and/or compositional instabilities depending on the concentration of the polymer in the solution. We argue that the formation via `hierarchical self-assembly' of various functional nanostructures observed in different systems can be explained as resulting from such an interplay of instabilities. |
Formato |
application/pdf |
Identificador |
http://eprints.iisc.ernet.in/52922/1/Sof_Mat_11-46_8975_2015.pdf Sarika, CK and Tomar, Gaurav and Basu, JK and Thiele, Uwe (2015) Bimodality and re-entrant behaviour in the hierarchical self-assembly of polymeric nanoparticles. In: SOFT MATTER, 11 (46). pp. 8975-8980. |
Publicador |
ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY |
Relação |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c5sm02108a http://eprints.iisc.ernet.in/52922/ |
Palavras-Chave | #Mechanical Engineering #Physics |
Tipo |
Journal Article PeerReviewed |