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Fabrication of ordered honeycomb structures and microspheres using polystyrene-block-poly(tert-butyl acrylate) star polymers

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Abstract

A series of novel honeycomb films of tri- and octa-arm polystyrene-b-poly(tert-butyl acrylate) star polymers prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization and nitroxide mediated radical polymerization, respectively, have been fabricated. The type of solvents, specifically their miscibility in water is one of essential parameters to construct ordered pore structures. The tri- and octa-arm star polymers yield well-ordered microporous film specifically in 10 to 30 g/L CHCl3 solution. The contact angle of glass slide substrate (54.57°) is adjusted to 41.06° by plasma treatment and to 12.21° by coating the glass slide with highly hydrophilic hyperbranched polyglycidol. The ordered honeycomb films are created on the hydrophobic substrates, but the ordered films are not formed on the hydrophilic substrates. Microspheres with the diameters ranging from hundreds of nanometers to several micrometers are also obtained by a slight modification of breath figure method.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education (2012R1A1A2041315) and the Fusion Research Program for Green Technologies through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education (2012M3C1A1054502). The authors also thank to BK21 PLUS Program for partial financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. BK21 Centre for Advanced Chemical Technology, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Pusan National University, Pusan, 609-735, South Korea

    Dong Eun Kang, Seong Jin Byeon, Min Seon Heo, Byeong Kyu Moon & Il Kim

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  1. Dong Eun Kang
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  2. Seong Jin Byeon
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Correspondence to Il Kim.

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Kang, D.E., Byeon, S.J., Heo, M.S. et al. Fabrication of ordered honeycomb structures and microspheres using polystyrene-block-poly(tert-butyl acrylate) star polymers. J Polym Res 21, 382 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-014-0382-y

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