Nanoporous carbon template from surface reconstruction in block copolymer thin film

Abstract

Fine tuning of the orientation and lateral ordering of block copolymer microdomains is essential to their application as templates for the fabrication of nanostructures. Also, a process must be robust, simple, rapid, and not disruptive. In addition, the fabrication of ultrathin and nanoscale carbon template from self assembled copolymer is still a challenging task in the field of materials science. Here, a simple way for the fabrication of carbon nanoporous template via block copolymer surface reconstruction is described. A thin film of poly(styrene- b-4-vinylpyridine) showing micelle structure was spin casted from toluene solution on carbon precursor film poly(acrylonitrile- b-methyl methacrylate) as a sacrificial scaffold for the formation of nanoporous carbon template. The preferential solvation of the vinylpyridine block with an alcohol resulted in a surface reconstruction that leads to the formation of nanoporous film. Subsequent reactive ion etching and thermal treatment generated nanoporous and robust carbon template.