Combined Assembly by Soft and Hard chemistry, from hierarchically ordered nanoparticle/block-copolymer composites to non-volatile memory devices (CASH-Memory)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Marcus Halik
• Subject Area: Polymer Materials ; Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: from 2014 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 265245389

• Final Report Year: 2020

Final Report Abstract

The project CASHMemory gained important scientific knowledge and progress on core-shell nanoparticles, block-copolymers, their hybrids as phase selective doped composites and has demonstrated functional memory devices. The highlights of the project can be attributed to work package 1 - the fundamental scientific questions of the materials and in particular the interfaces. We have demonstrated the presence of nanophases in PEO rich PS-b-PEO block-copolymer and the ability to selectively load corresponding NPs in the phases. We have contributed to the systems of mixed self-assembled monolayer on NP surfaces with deep insight in morphology of molecular assemblies, molecular communication (optical properties) and their dynamics. The devices – in particular the floated gate memories – exhibit good and reliable performance but for practical application the system of NP-BCP occurs to sensitive in terms of long term stability (flipping) and process control. The gained knowledge on interaction of NP-surface with corresponding polymer matrix led to the development of surprising and novel directions. The project has inspired and has delivered fundamentals to design core-shell nanoparticles (with magnetic core) to remediate liquid hydrocarbons and/or solid nanoplastic pollution from water with as simple but very smart approach. These findings might have an enormous impact in sustainable technology in environmental protection.

Publications

• “Blockcopolymer / Nanoparticle Hybrid Systems” EAM Meeting 2015, Kloster Banz, Germany
  J. Kirschner
  
• “Characterization of phase separated Nanoparticle / PS-b-PEO hybrids in Organic Thin Film Memory Transistors” E-MRS Spring Meeting 2015, Lille, France
  J. Kirschner
  
• “Influence of region selective nanoparticle enrichment on block copolymer phase separation” E-MRS Spring Meeting 2015, Lille, France
  T. Rejek
  
• “Self-Assembled Nanoparticle / PS-b-PEO Block Copolymer Hybrids and their Application as Dielectric Layers in OTFMTs” MRS Spring Meeting 2015, San Francisco, USA
  J. Kirschner
  
• „Block Copolymer Hybrid Dielectrics in Organic Memory Transistors” Dissertation FAU Erlangen Nürnberg 12/2017
  J. Kirschner
  
• “Memory Effect of Self-Assembled PS-b-PEO Block Copolymer Films with Selectively Embedded Functionalized TiO2 Nanoparticles”, Advanced Materials Interfaces, 4 (2017) 1700230
  J. Kirschner, J. Will, T. J. Rejek, L. Portilla, M. Berlinghof, P. Schweizer, E. Spiecker, H.-G. Steinrück, T. Unruh, M. Halik
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.201700230)
• “Phase selective distribution of nanoparticles in the block copolymer matrix and their application to the organic thin film memory transistor” Particle Based Materials Symposium, 2018, Erlangen, Germany
  H. Park
  
• “Selective enrichment of nanoparticles in the amphiphilic block copolymer matrix by tuning the surface chemistry of nanoparticles” E-MRS Spring Meeting 2018, Strasbourg, France
  H. Park
  
• „Multifunctional and Tunable Surfaces Based on Pyrene Functionalized Nanoparticles” Advanced Materials Interfaces, 6 (2019) 1801930
  J. E. Wittmann, L. M. S. Stiegler, C. Henkel, J. Träg, K. Götz, T. Unruh, D. Zahn, A. Hirsch, D. Guldi, and M. Halik
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.201801930)
• „Superoleophilic Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Effective Hydrocarbon Removal from Water” Advanced Functional Materials, 29 (2019) 1805742
  M. Sarcletti, D. Vivod, T. Luchs, T. Rejek, L. Portilla, L. Müller, H. Dietrich, A. Hirsch, D. Zahn, M. Halik
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201805742)
• „Buried Microphase Separation by Dynamic Interplay of Crystallization and Microphase Separation in Semicrystalline PEO-Rich PS- b-PEO Block Copolymer Thin Films” Macromolecules 53 (2020) 5604–5613
  T. Rejek, P. Schweizer, D. Joch, L. Portilla, E. Spiecker, M. Halik
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02760)
• „Mixed Organic Ligand Shells: Controlling the Nanoparticle Surface Morphology toward Tuning the Optoelectronic Properties” Small, 16 (2020) 1903729
  C. Henkel, J. E. Wittmann, J. Träg, J. Will, L. M. S. Stiegler, P. Strohriegl, A. Hirsch, T. Unruh, D. Zahn, M. Halik, D. Guldi
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.201903729)