Hierarchically organized structures engineered from controlled evaporative self-assembly.

Hierarchically ordered structures enabled by controlled evaporative self-assembly.

Hierarchical structures are common in both nature and technology. In the latter context, controlling the spatial arrangement of components over multiple length scales (i.e., forming hierarchically ordered structures) is highly desirable for many applications, such as lab-on-a-chip devices, integrated circuits, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMSs). [ 1 ] Most hierarchically ordered structu...

Controlled evaporative self-assembly of hierarchically structured bottlebrush block copolymer with nanochannels†

The toluene solution of a bottlebrush block copolymer, polystyrene–polylactide (PS–PLA), was confined in a cylinder-on-flat geometry, from which the consecutive ‘‘stick-slip’’ motion of the threephase contact line of the PS–PLA solution was effectively regulated as toluene evaporated, thereby yielding gradient stripes at the microscopic scale. Subsequent selective solvent vapor annealing led to...

An unconventional route to hierarchically ordered block copolymers on a gradient patterned surface through controlled evaporative self-assembly.

A simple route to hierarchically assembled micelles and inorganic nanoparticles.

Earning their stripes: A hierarchical assembly of micelles composed of an amphiphilic diblock copolymer, poly(styrene)-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP), were made by combining controlled evaporative self-assembly of the confined PS-b-P4VP toluene solution in a cylinder-on-Si geometry with spontaneous self-assembly of micelles. This method gave microscopic stripes of nanometer-sized PS-b-...

Learning from "coffee rings": ordered structures enabled by controlled evaporative self-assembly.

Research into the evaporation of solutions is not only aimed at a better understanding the physics of evaporation, but increasingly at capitalizing on the extremely simple method it offers to assemble diverse nonvolatile solutes into complex ordered structures on the submicron and longer length scales. This Review highlights recent advances in evaporative assembly of confined solutions, focusin...